Bobbies boost as West Mercia Police to hire 100 new officers
An additional 100 police officers will be hired by the force covering Shropshire, it was announced today.
Recruitment of the additional officers for West Mercia Police will start immediately, increasing the total number of officers in the region to more than 2,000.
Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: “I promised our communities that a greater proportion of the money they contribute towards policing would be spent on the vital frontline services we all value most.
“Policing is not just a numbers game, however it is no secret that demand is increasing in all police forces. These additional officers will help ensure West Mercia’s communities get the service they need, and that the force has the resilience to cope with changing demands.
“Our communities have been clear and consistent that they want visible and pro-active policing. I hope this decision demonstrates those voices are being heard, and acted upon”.
West Mercia Police Chief Constable Anthony Bangham said: “I welcome this announcement from our police and crime commissioner and I’m grateful that he has responded positively to the operational needs of our force.”
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The announcement comes after figures obtained from the Home Office last month showed the number of officers in West Mercia Police had fallen by almost four per cent compared to a year ago.
The statistics showed that there were the equivalent of 1,974 full-time officers employed by the force in March this year, a fall of 81 from the previous year when the figure stood at 2055. The data also showed that less time was being spent on frontline policing, with 1,763 officers available for frontline duties in March this year, down 191 from 2017.
In a letter to Shrewsbury and Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski announcing the move, Mr Campion said recruitment would start immediately.
Mr Kawczynski said: “I welcome this increase in police officers for our region,” he said. “Having spent a day with Shrewsbury Police last month I could clearly see the enormous pressures they were under.
“This is a step in right direction but we will continue to lobby for more resources for our local police as there are too few officers assigned to rural Shropshire areas and too few to deal with any anti-social behaviour in Shrewsbury during late nights.”
In his letter to Mr Kawczynski, Mr Campion said the announcement was in “stark contrast to the negative narrative of some political parties” but added he would continue to lobby for a fairer slice of the national funding pot for West Mercia.
