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Merseyside Police

police force · England · code E23000004

The Home Office counted 4,166 full-time equivalent police officers at Merseyside Police on 31 March 2026. That is down 6% from 4,442 on 31 March 2007.

Merseyside Police recorded 137,975 crimes, excluding fraud, in April 2025 to March 2026, according to the Home Office. That is up 54% from 89,836 in April 2012 to March 2013.

Merseyside Police carried out 57,344 stop and searches in April 2025 to March 2026, the Home Office reports.

Across the 20 years shown, the Home Office's full-time equivalent count of officers at Merseyside Police was lowest at 3,396 (31 March 2019) and highest at 4,516 (31 March 2010).

Officers and staff

Police officers (full-time equivalent)
4,166
31 March 2026 · Home Office
Includes officers on career breaks or seconded into the force; excludes those seconded out to central services.
Police staff and designated officers (full-time equivalent)
2,254
31 March 2026 · Home Office
Police community support officers (full-time equivalent)
198
31 March 2026 · Home Office
Special constables (headcount)
106
31 March 2026 · Home Office
4,5163,396 31 March 200731 March 2026
2,3241,753 31 March 200731 March 2026
468171 31 March 200731 March 2026
585106 31 March 200731 March 2026
Police officers (full-time equivalent)
31 March 20074,442
31 March 20084,477
31 March 20094,494
31 March 20104,516
31 March 20114,297
31 March 20124,083
31 March 20133,909
31 March 20143,954
31 March 20153,794
31 March 20163,554
31 March 20173,538
31 March 20183,450
31 March 20193,396
31 March 20203,629
31 March 20213,940
31 March 20224,042
31 March 20234,132
31 March 20244,172
31 March 20254,159
31 March 20264,166
Police staff and designated officers (full-time equivalent)
31 March 20072,187
31 March 20082,203
31 March 20092,221
31 March 20102,252
31 March 20112,158
31 March 20122,024
31 March 20131,946
31 March 20141,828
31 March 20151,803
31 March 20161,753
31 March 20171,773
31 March 20181,805
31 March 20191,916
31 March 20202,055
31 March 20212,161
31 March 20222,214
31 March 20232,200
31 March 20242,271
31 March 20252,324
31 March 20262,254
Police community support officers (full-time equivalent)
31 March 2007364
31 March 2008407
31 March 2009442
31 March 2010468
31 March 2011440
31 March 2012426
31 March 2013378
31 March 2014316
31 March 2015353
31 March 2016292
31 March 2017260
31 March 2018266
31 March 2019251
31 March 2020201
31 March 2021216
31 March 2022196
31 March 2023171
31 March 2024192
31 March 2025190
31 March 2026198
Special constables (headcount)
31 March 2007392
31 March 2008456
31 March 2009420
31 March 2010446
31 March 2011453
31 March 2012585
31 March 2013566
31 March 2014420
31 March 2015309
31 March 2016329
31 March 2017225
31 March 2018231
31 March 2019249
31 March 2020184
31 March 2021162
31 March 2022179
31 March 2023134
31 March 2024128
31 March 2025110
31 March 2026106

Recorded crime

Recorded crime (excluding fraud)
137,975
April 2025 to March 2026 · Home Office
Recorded violence against the person
55,326
April 2025 to March 2026 · Home Office
Recorded theft offences
29,429
April 2025 to March 2026 · Home Office
Recorded sexual offences
4,984
April 2025 to March 2026 · Home Office
Recorded robbery
1,493
April 2025 to March 2026 · Home Office
169k90k 2012/132025/26
69k11k 2012/132025/26
48k28k 2012/132025/26
4,9841,287 2012/132025/26
1,4931,029 2012/132025/26
Recorded crime (excluding fraud)
April 2012 to March 201389,836
April 2013 to March 201493,348
April 2014 to March 201597,244
April 2015 to March 2016102,351
April 2016 to March 2017110,029
April 2017 to March 2018125,637
April 2018 to March 2019135,697
April 2019 to March 2020137,651
April 2020 to March 2021128,854
April 2021 to March 2022165,714
April 2022 to March 2023169,247
April 2023 to March 2024145,284
April 2024 to March 2025135,001
April 2025 to March 2026137,975
Recorded violence against the person
April 2012 to March 201311,031
April 2013 to March 201412,935
April 2014 to March 201518,587
April 2015 to March 201624,534
April 2016 to March 201728,717
April 2017 to March 201835,003
April 2018 to March 201945,849
April 2019 to March 202048,634
April 2020 to March 202151,231
April 2021 to March 202268,670
April 2022 to March 202368,882
April 2023 to March 202460,340
April 2024 to March 202554,727
April 2025 to March 202655,326
Recorded theft offences
April 2012 to March 201344,121
April 2013 to March 201445,875
April 2014 to March 201544,840
April 2015 to March 201644,643
April 2016 to March 201745,174
April 2017 to March 201848,114
April 2018 to March 201943,395
April 2019 to March 202039,480
April 2020 to March 202127,654
April 2021 to March 202233,584
April 2022 to March 202335,006
April 2023 to March 202432,112
April 2024 to March 202529,196
April 2025 to March 202629,429
Recorded sexual offences
April 2012 to March 20131,287
April 2013 to March 20141,430
April 2014 to March 20151,991
April 2015 to March 20162,328
April 2016 to March 20172,578
April 2017 to March 20183,252
April 2018 to March 20193,246
April 2019 to March 20203,471
April 2020 to March 20213,313
April 2021 to March 20224,737
April 2022 to March 20234,617
April 2023 to March 20244,087
April 2024 to March 20254,713
April 2025 to March 20264,984
Recorded robbery
April 2012 to March 20131,171
April 2013 to March 20141,203
April 2014 to March 20151,079
April 2015 to March 20161,101
April 2016 to March 20171,210
April 2017 to March 20181,425
April 2018 to March 20191,479
April 2019 to March 20201,314
April 2020 to March 20211,029
April 2021 to March 20221,315
April 2022 to March 20231,246
April 2023 to March 20241,109
April 2024 to March 20251,128
April 2025 to March 20261,493

Stop and search and arrests

Stop and searches (all powers)
57,344
April 2025 to March 2026 · Home Office
Stop and searches under section 1 of PACE
56,137
April 2025 to March 2026 · Home Office
Section 1 searches that led to an arrest
10.3%
April 2025 to March 2026 · Home Office
Arrests for notifiable offences
21,869
April 2025 to March 2026 · Home Office

Local areas

Council areas in this police force area: Knowsley · Liverpool · Sefton · St. Helens · Wirral

Where Merseyside Police sits in the ladder of power

The bodies above Merseyside Police and the council areas it serves. How the ten levels work.

  1. Level 4: County councils, combined authorities and metro mayors

    • Merseyside Police this page

  2. Level 6: National government

  3. Level 7: Regional blocs and supranational bodies

  4. Level 8: The UN and global treaty bodies

  5. Level 9: The IMF, World Bank and global finance

    • International Monetary Fund (IMF) The UK has been a member since 27 December 1945 and has a quota of SDR 20,155.1 million (IMF country page for the United Kingdom).
    • World Bank Group (WBG) The UK holds 3.75% of voting power in the IBRD (data as of 30 June 2026) and 6.92% in IDA (as of 30 June 2026), according to the World Bank's voting tables.

  6. Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums

    • G7 The UK is one of the seven members.
    • G20 The UK is a G20 member.

Related figures

Police officer numbers · Crime Survey for England and Wales

Sources

Police forces · how these figures are presented · built 15 October 2026