FOI 420742
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 420742
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 9th July 2025. Please find below the response to your request:
I would be grateful if you could provide the following information:
1) Voluntary Resignations
Please provide annual data from 1 January 2015 to the date of this request on the number of sworn police officers who have voluntarily resigned from service. The data should be disaggregated by:
* Rank at time of resignation
* Age group (e.g., under 25, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55+)
* Role (e.g., response, neighbourhood, detective, specialist units)
* Sex (male, female, other/prefer not to say)
* Entry route into policing (e.g., Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship, Degree Holder Entry Programme, PCEP/IPLDP, other)
* Number of officers who were part of the Uplift Programme
* Specific reason for resignation (if recorded)
2) Retirement and Psychological Health
Please provide data from 1 January 2015 to the date of this request on the number of sworn police officers who voluntarily retired from service and who also took a period of absence due to psychological health or stress in the 12 months prior to retirement. The data should be disaggregated by:
* Rank at time of retirement
* Age group (e.g., under 25, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55+)
* Role (e.g., response, neighbourhood, detective, specialist units)
* Sex (male, female, other/prefer not to say)
* Entry route into policing (e.g., Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship, Degree Holder Entry Programme, PCEP/IPLDP, other)
* Number of officers who were part of the Uplift Programme
* Specific reason for retirement (if recorded)
3) Workforce Headcount
Please provide the annual headcount of sworn officers only from 1 January 2015 to the date of this request, disaggregated by:
* Rank
* Age group (e.g., under 25, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55+)
* Role (e.g., response, neighbourhood, detective, specialist units)
* Sex (male, female, other/prefer not to say)
* Entry route into policing (e.g., Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship, Degree Holder Entry Programme, PCEP/IPLDP, other)
* Number of officers who were part of the Uplift Programme
If the information is held but cannot be provided in its entirety, I would appreciate any relevant extracts, summaries, or guidance documents you are able to release.
If any of the information is exempt from disclosure, please specify which exemption applies and provide reasoning
Reply
West Mercia Police hold some of the information requested
Please note all tables are uncorrelated to ensure that there is no specific identification of individuals. For Q1 and Q3 data can only be provided from 2020 to 2024 for full year data. For Q2 data is only held from 2023. Due to the reporting programme only full years can be provided at this current time.
The request asks for officers who were part of the Uplift Programme to be identified. These are identified by their manner of joining so the following are part of the Uplift programme:
Degree Holders Entry programme
Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship
Police Now SNT
Police Now DC
DHEP
IPLDP+
PCDA
Q1 Voluntary Resignations
Please provide annual data from 1 January 2015 to the date of this request on the number of sworn police officers who have voluntarily resigned from service. The data should be disaggregated by:
|
Year |
Total |
|
2020 |
148 |
|
2021 |
158 |
|
2022 |
239 |
|
2023 |
178 |
|
2024 |
198 |
|
Grade |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
Chief Constable |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Assistant Chief Constable |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Chief Inspector |
2 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
|
Chief Superintendent |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
Constable |
86 |
89 |
152 |
125 |
92 |
|
Contractor |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
|
Deputy Chief Constable |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Detective Chief Inspector |
1 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
|
Detective Constable |
28 |
25 |
30 |
25 |
22 |
|
Detective Inspector |
0 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
Acting Detective Inspector |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Acting Detective Sergeant |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Detective Sergeant |
7 |
6 |
11 |
4 |
10 |
|
Detective Superintendent |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Inspector |
6 |
4 |
6 |
4 |
7 |
|
Inspector NPPF |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Sergeant |
8 |
21 |
21 |
10 |
18 |
|
Sergeant NPPF |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Superintendent |
0 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Temporary Chief Constable |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Temporary Detective Chief Inspector |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
|
Temporary Detective Sergeant |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Temporary Sergeant |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Temporary Superintendent |
2 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Temporary Detective Constable |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Temporary Sergeant NPPF |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Student Officer |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
38 |
|
Gender |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
Female |
39 |
30 |
60 |
54 |
61 |
|
Male |
90 |
118 |
149 |
105 |
120 |
|
not known |
19 |
10 |
30 |
19 |
17 |
|
Entry Route |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
Met Police Transferee |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
|
Ordinary Applicant |
105 |
88 |
129 |
73 |
73 |
|
Police - Previously Special Constable |
3 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
3 |
|
Police Now DC |
1 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
Police Now SNT |
2 |
4 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
|
Provincial Transferee |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Rejoined |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Scottish Transferee |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Transferee MOD |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Transferee Other Force |
30 |
34 |
42 |
35 |
36 |
|
Degree Holders Entry Programme |
0 |
6 |
13 |
34 |
39 |
|
Ex-Cadet |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Graduate Entry |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship |
0 |
17 |
37 |
28 |
37 |
|
not Known |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
|
Direct Entry |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
IPLDP+ |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
|
Professional Policing Degree |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Leaving Reason |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
Dismissed |
1 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
3 |
|
Retired Medically Unfit Pension |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Retired Pension 0-24 years |
18 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
|
Retired Pension 25 Years |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Retired Pension 26-29 years |
14 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Retired Pension 30 Years |
25 |
0 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
|
Retired Pension 30 Years Plus |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Transfer to other UK force |
39 |
0 |
37 |
30 |
31 |
|
Voluntary Probationer |
20 |
0 |
47 |
53 |
59 |
|
Voluntary Resign 2-15 years |
11 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Voluntary Resign over 15 years |
10 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Died |
0 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
|
Dismissal |
0 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
|
Medical Retirement |
0 |
3 |
7 |
8 |
11 |
|
Resignation |
0 |
20 |
36 |
19 |
28 |
|
Resignation Following Mat Leave |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Resigned During Misconduct |
0 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
9 |
|
Retired |
0 |
25 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Retirement |
0 |
61 |
94 |
46 |
52 |
|
Voluntary |
0 |
40 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
(Civ) End of Contract |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
|
Age Group at Leaving |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
Under 25 |
7 |
5 |
23 |
32 |
23 |
|
25-34 |
25 |
29 |
59 |
47 |
59 |
|
35-44 |
29 |
23 |
29 |
25 |
35 |
|
45-54 |
66 |
67 |
74 |
42 |
55 |
|
55+ |
21 |
34 |
54 |
32 |
26 |
|
148 |
158 |
239 |
178 |
198 |
Q2Retirement and Psychological Health
Please provide data from 1 January 2015 to the date of this request on the number of sworn police officers who voluntarily retired from service and who also took a period of absence due to psychological health or stress in the 12 months prior to retirement. The data should be disaggregated by
|
Rank |
2023 |
2024 |
|
Constable |
28 |
15 |
|
Inspector |
1 |
0 |
|
Sergeant |
2 |
1 |
|
Gender |
2023 |
2024 |
|
Male |
17 |
12 |
|
Female |
14 |
3 |
|
Entry Route |
2023 |
2024 |
|
Degree Holders Entry Programme |
8 |
0 |
|
DHEP |
1 |
0 |
|
IPLDP+ |
0 |
1 |
|
Met Police Transferee |
2 |
2 |
|
OF |
0 |
1 |
|
Ordinary Applicant |
4 |
5 |
|
PCDA |
0 |
1 |
|
Police - Previously Special Constable |
0 |
1 |
|
Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship |
5 |
4 |
|
police now DC |
1 |
0 |
|
Police Now SNT |
1 |
0 |
|
Transferee Other Force |
9 |
1 |
|
Age Band |
2023 |
2024 |
|
25 and Under |
6 |
1 |
|
26-40 |
14 |
5 |
|
41-55 |
9 |
8 |
|
Over 55 |
2 |
2 |
Q3 Workforce Headcount
Please provide the annual headcount of sworn officers only from 1 January 2015 to the date of this request, disaggregated by
|
Total Count |
||||
|
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
2227 |
3242 |
2587 |
2529 |
3680 |
|
Rank |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
ACPO |
4 |
8 |
5 |
5 |
10 |
|
Ch Supt |
4 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
8 |
|
Supt |
17 |
25 |
17 |
17 |
28 |
|
Ch Insp |
32 |
46 |
36 |
32 |
51 |
|
Insp |
112 |
170 |
123 |
121 |
179 |
|
Sgt |
324 |
463 |
381 |
369 |
513 |
|
Con |
1734 |
2524 |
2021 |
1985 |
2891 |
|
2227 |
3242 |
2587 |
2529 |
3680 |
|
Gender |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
Male |
1514 |
2181 |
1700 |
1634 |
2357 |
|
Female |
713 |
1061 |
887 |
895 |
1323 |
|
2227 |
3242 |
2587 |
2529 |
3680 |
|
Route of Joining |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
Degree Holders Entry Programme |
0 |
58 |
115 |
168 |
291 |
|
Direct Entry |
3 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
Ex-Cadet |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Fast Track |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
Graduate Entry |
13 |
14 |
14 |
13 |
11 |
|
IPLDP+ |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
41 |
|
London City Transferee |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Met Police Transferee |
21 |
22 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
|
Ordinary Applicant |
1691 |
2079 |
1649 |
1435 |
1856 |
|
Police - Previously Special Constable |
66 |
116 |
68 |
65 |
117 |
|
Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship |
0 |
150 |
234 |
373 |
530 |
|
Police Now DC |
9 |
16 |
8 |
6 |
30 |
|
Police Now SNT |
14 |
29 |
27 |
20 |
28 |
|
Police Re-appointed |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
Police Standard Entrant |
3 |
161 |
4 |
3 |
167 |
|
Professional Policing Degree |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
10 |
|
Provincial Transferee |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Rejoined |
3 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
|
Scottish Transferee |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
Transferee MOD |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
Transferee Other Force |
399 |
578 |
439 |
417 |
562 |
|
2227 |
3242 |
2587 |
2529 |
3680 |
|
Age Band at Time |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
25 and under |
9 |
39 |
70 |
183 |
325 |
|
26 - 40 |
674 |
1196 |
999 |
1034 |
1573 |
|
41 - 55 |
1221 |
1641 |
1283 |
1175 |
1606 |
|
over 55 |
323 |
366 |
235 |
137 |
176 |
|
2227 |
3242 |
2587 |
2529 |
3680 |