How many additional police officers were delivered through recruitment in 2007-08, compared with numbers in May 2007.

We are committed to recruiting 1,000 additional police officers during the lifetime of this Parliament. 150 centrally-funded officers were recruited in 2007-08 and an additional 450 will be recruited during this financial year. A further 200 officers will be recruited in each of the two subsequent years. As the member knows, police numbers in Scotland are at record levels with some 16,339 whole time equivalent officers in post at 30 June, an increase of 118 since the previous quarter. It is not for the Scottish Government to dictate to chief constables what size their forces should be, but these figures are set to increase substantially as forces, such as Strathclyde, plan to increase their total complements to unprecedented levels.
The key to the police service''s ability to respond to the demands placed upon it is not just about its size, but its capacity. That is why we are working closely with our partners in COSLA, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and with police boards, to ensure that we have the right people with the right skills in the right place at the right time. Our focus has always been, and will continue to be, on building the capacity of the police service.