West Mercia Police chiefs celebrate hitting 'highest ever' number of officers

The force has totted up the number of officers on its books and says it it now 2,494 - an increase of 508 since 2016.

Chiefs say they were given a target to hire 290 officers in 2019 as part of a Government campaign called Uplift which was launched to recruit 20,000 officers nationally. They say the local target was exceeded by 19.

Leaders in the force say this was due to a West Mercia Police’s recruitment efforts and investment by the Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion. The West Mercia force covers Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire.

Mr Campion said: “I am extremely proud to see police officer numbers at their highest level in West Mercia Police’s history.

“As the voice of the public in policing, I have listened and delivered on calls for more officers to be visible and accessible in the heart of your communities.

“Since I was first elected in 2016, I have overseen a year-on-year increase in police officer numbers and while the force has now hit this momentous milestone, I am funding a further 40 officers – exceeding the Government’s target.

“As PCC, I will continue to champion a journey of reform in West Mercia Police to ensure you feel the benefit of the increase in officers, working to meet your priorities.”

Chief Constable Pippa Mills, who leads the force as its highest ranking officer, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and great news for the communities we serve.

"These new officers will be vital in helping us protect people from harm and deliver an excellent service that the public deserve. We’re ensuring this investment increases visibility across our communities and helps us get the best possible outcomes for victims of crime.

“As a result of this recruitment drive we are now a more representative force as well and we have achieved a long-standing of having 35 per cent female representation across the force. We’ve now revised our target and reset it at 50 per cent, as it’s important we continue to be ambitious to achieve a more balanced level of representation.

“Officers from ethnic minority backgrounds have also increased, from 2.4 per cent in 2019 to 3.3 per cent today and so we continue to work to be a force that is truly representative of the communities we serve.”

The force’s efforts to recruit police offices will not stop post-Uplift.

West Mercia Police has made a commitment to recruiting an additional 40 officers in 2023/24 while also maintaining Uplift numbers.

Nationally the Home Secretary says the Government is "poised to hit a manifesto target of hiring 20,000 new police officers in England and Wales".

Opposition critics say the plan simply replaces many who left their forces due to cuts since 2010.

Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, said: “Burglary victims who are still waiting for the police to investigate will be surprised to hear the PCC boasting about his achievements.

“Residents in places like Oswestry and Whitchurch are continually telling me that there are not enough local officers to deal with anti-social behaviour.

“Prisons are full, court backlogs are never-ending and hardworking police officers are dealing with an overwhelming workload. That is the reality of a decade of Conservative neglect of our criminal justice system.”

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: "If we achieve that goal, we will be in excess of 2010 numbers, we will be at record levels, we will have the highest number of police officers in history in England and Wales. I think that's a huge achievement."

She added: "We don't want to see the police getting into debates on social media about gender, we don't want to see the police dancing on the street, we don't want to see the police holding back from taking courageous decisions on grooming gangs because of fears of political correctness.

"I want to see the police using their stop-and-search powers - their increased stop-and-search powers that we've given them - so that they can reduce violence and save lives."

Ms Braverman said it was "somewhat of an irrelevance" to look at the cuts in police numbers during the years of austerity.

Responding to the police recruitment figures, Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "The Conservatives are taking the country for fools.

"They cut 20,000 police officers from our streets. Now they expect the public to be grateful for a police replacement programme that still leaves 6,000 fewer police out on the beat and 9,000 fewer officers in real terms compared to the last Labour government as the population has grown.

"With more than 90 per cent of crimes going unsolved, victims dropping out in their millions and recorded knife crime and sexual violence rising, the Conservatives have no grip on law and order.

"Only Labour will restore neighbourhood policing with 13,000 extra officers and PCSOs to rebuild safety in our communities."