Q: Just how many Jedi's are there here in the United Kingdom?
A: The 2001 survey said:- "390,000 Jedis There Are".
Background information to the above can be accessed here via Directgov - the official government website for citizens
"Seven people in every thousand in England and Wales gave their religion as 'Jedi' in the 2001 Census".
"The Census form's question on religion - the only question where a response was not compulsory - offered a series of tick-boxes for the major religions in the UK (Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh); a tick-box for 'none'; and a free space to write in 'any other religion'. This was the first time a religion question was included in a Census".
Whilst I was and remain a Padawan (a Jedi apprentice), I was tipped off about this, and opted for "Jedi". No-one had any idea at the time of course as to how many Jedi Knights and Padawan's there were in the UK.
2009
A number of interesting reports in the news media (here) and blogosphere (here) over the last week have homed in on "Glasgow's Finest", aka Strathclyde Police for some reason !!
Jedi Knight PC Fleming from Glasgow was the first (of at least 8) within "The Force" of Strathclyde Police to reveal their identity in public over the last 24 hours.
Stealing some blurb from one such report today:-
Meet PC Pam Fleming, the first serving police officer to come forward and admit being a Jedi copper.
PC Fleming, who has patrolled the streets of Glasgow for the past 23 years, emerged – lightsaber in hand – to say: 'I'm a Jedi and I'm proud.'
She even admitted to using Jedi mind tricks during interviews with suspects in 'an effort to achieve the truth', although she tells industry magazine Police Review that she does not use 'The Force' to influence what suspects say or do.
Jedi mind tricks are used in the Star Wars movies by Obi-Wan Kenobi, played by Sir Alec Guinness, to 'influence the minds of weak-minded sentient beings'.
PC Fleming, one of ten workers at Strathclyde Police who have listed their religion as Jedi, said her faith helped her 'fight crime and disorder on Glasgow's streets'.
'Being a Jedi is a way of life,' said the 45-year-old. 'For me, it is not a joke. I love the Star Wars films and the concept of being a Jedi.
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Side Salad...., quoting from Google News:-
According to Britain's Office for National Statistics, a total of 390,000 people in England and Wales listed their religion as Jedi in the most recent census in 2001. Scotland has a reported 14,000 followers.
But it noted that this may have been largely due to an Internet campaign launched in the run-up to the census. Jedi followers are grouped under atheist.
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Unrelated-ish
Flickr source
If you would like to join The (Strathclyde Police) Force, please do check oot the Recruitment Section of the Strathclyde Police Website. They are recruiting right now.
Quote
As Scotland's largest police force – covering 5,371 miles with a population of approximately 2.2 million people - we're constantly looking to match our resources with the needs of our communities.
That's why we're currently in the middle of a major recruitment drive for both special and regular police officers. We will recruit over 800 new officers during this financial year together with a large number of special constables. If you're interested in joining us on the frontline, check out our police officers and special constables sections.
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