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Northamptonshire Police

East Midlands · Territorial force · 1,500 officers

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Key Statistics

Officers

1,500

Staff

750

Area (sq miles)

913

Population served

770,000

About Northamptonshire Police

Covering Northampton, Kettering and Corby. A mid-sized force that has undergone significant modernisation, centrally located with good transport links and reasonable living costs.

Founded 1966Source: Wikidata (CC0)

Northamptonshire Police serves a diverse and vibrant area in the East Midlands, encompassing urban, rural, and semi-rural settings, including major towns like Northampton, Kettering, and Corby. With efficient transport corridors, including the M1 motorway and several railway lines, the region boasts excellent connectivity, facilitating both local and cross-border policing. The force shares borders with other police jurisdictions, enhancing collaborative operations in crime prevention and response. Notably, Northamptonshire has strategic military facilities, leading to unique policing scenarios associated with both civilian and military communities.

The force has specialized units focusing on local needs, such as the Vulnerability and Exploitation Team, dedicated to tackling issues of safeguarding and domestic violence, ensuring that vulnerable members of the community receive the attention and support required. Their Cyber Crime Unit reflects a modern approach to tackling the evolving nature of crime. Additionally, a dedicated Rural Crime Team focuses on crime and safety in more isolated areas, addressing the specific challenges faced by rural populations.

In terms of current priorities, Northamptonshire Police emphasizes community engagement, with a focus on violence reduction, anti-social behavior, road safety, and tackling drug-related crime. They are actively working to enhance public trust and transparency, continually adapting to the needs of residents and visitors. Overall, the force offers a dynamic environment for officers considering a new path, welcoming those committed to making a positive impact across varied communities.

Current priorities

  • Reducing violence and anti-social behaviour
  • Improving road safety
  • Tackling drug-related crime
  • Enhancing community engagement
  • Building public trust and confidence

Notable specialisms

Vulnerability and Exploitation TeamCyber Crime UnitRural Crime Team

Source: About Northamptonshire Police. Summary fetched 2026-07-05.

Public-data snapshot

Workforce

Officers

1,500

Staff

750

Total headcount

2,250

Source: Home Office Police Workforce Statistics as of 31 March 2025 · OGL v3

HMICFRS PEEL rating

requires improvement

Inspection cycle: 2023-2025

Source: HMICFRS PEEL assessments · Open Government Licence v3.0

In recent oversight reports

Northamptonshire Police is named in 1 recent IOPC investigation outcome or HMICFRS thematic report.

  • Terms of reference: Home Secretary’s commission for a thematic inspection of the handling of misconduct in fire and rescue services

    2023-07-19 · HMICFRS

See all thematic reports

From data.police.uk

data.police.uk covers England, Wales & Northern Ireland; not Police Scotland.

Engagement & social channels

Stop and search

Latest available month: 2026-08. 190 recorded stop-and-search records that month. Officer-defined ethnicity was recorded on 97.4% of records.

By object of search (2026-08)

Evidence of offences under the Act77
Controlled drugs40
Offensive weapons37
Article for use in theft18
Firearms10
Stolen goods6
Articles for use in criminal damage2

By outcome (2026-08)

A no further action disposal165
Arrest21
Community resolution3
Caution (simple or conditional)1

⭳ Download all forces' stop & search (CSV)

Source: data.police.uk · Open Government Licence v3.0

Recorded crime by category

6,961 crimes recorded by Northamptonshire Police in 2026-08 (latest published month), by category. Counted from the published street-level archive; England, Wales & Northern Ireland only.

Crime type (2026-08)Recorded
Violence and sexual offences2,235
Anti-social behaviour1,956
Shoplifting621
Other theft411
Criminal damage and arson384
Public order366
Vehicle crime262
Burglary232
Drugs144
Other crime99
Robbery97
Possession of weapons86
Bicycle theft47
Theft from the person21
Total6,961

Source: data.police.uk street-level archive · Open Government Licence v3.0

Deaths during or following police contact

IOPC-recorded fatalities involving Northamptonshire Police over 2004/05 to 2024/25 (2024/25 in brackets). These use the IOPC’s five categories, which have different definitions and are not additive. Figures count incidents the IOPC attributed to Northamptonshire Police; see the national page for how multi-force incidents are handled.

Road traffic: 4 (2024/25: 0)Fatal shootings: 0 (2024/25: 0)In/following custody: 1 (2024/25: 0)Apparent suicides: 21 (2024/25: 3)Other contact: 33 (2024/25: 1)

Recruitment

How to join Northamptonshire Police

Application stages, entry routes, fitness and vetting requirements.

Open data for this force

Specialist Units

East Midlands Special Operations Unit
Firearms
Roads Policing
Dog Unit
CID

Official Sources

Topics for Northamptonshire Police

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