West Mercia Police

West Mercia Police, formerly known as West Mercia Constabulary, (/ˈmɜːrʃiə, -ʃə/ [3] /ˈmɜːsɪə/)[4] is the territorial police force responsible for policing the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire (including Telford and Wrekin) and Worcestershire in England. The force area covers 2,868 square miles (7,430 km2) making it the fourth largest police area in England and Wales. The resident population of the area is 1.19 million[1] Its name comes from the ancient kingdom of Mercia.

West Mercia Police
West Mercia Police Bell
West Mercia Police Logo
Agency overview
Formed1 October 1967
Preceding agencies
Employees4,195[1]
Volunteers288[2]
Annual budget£203.6 million[1]
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionHerefordshire, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Worcestershire, England
Map of police area
Size7,428 km²/2,868 sqmi[1]
Population1.19 million[1]
Legal jurisdictionEngland & Wales
Constituting instrument
General nature
Operational structure
HeadquartersHindlip Hall, Worcestershire
PCs2,367 (of which 224 are special constables)[1]
PCSOs283
PCC responsible
  • John Paul Campion (Conservative)
Agency executives
Local Policing Areas
5
Facilities
Police Stations48
Cars609
Vans140
Motorbikes37
Dogs40
Website
www.westmercia.police.uk
West Mercia Police headquarters at Hindlip Hall
West Mercia Police Helmet

The force represents a diverse range of policing environments from densely populated urban areas on the edge of Birmingham as well as Telford, Shrewsbury, and Worcester, to sparsely populated rural areas.

As of September 2017, the force has a workforce of 2,017 police officers, 223 police community support officers, 1541 police staff and 388 members of the special constabulary.[5]

The force has its headquarters in the historical manor house and grounds of Hindlip Hall on the outskirts of Worcester. Its badge combines the heraldry of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire.

The force was formed on 1 October 1967, by the merger of the Worcestershire Constabulary, Herefordshire Constabulary, Shropshire Constabulary and Worcester City Police.[6] It lost territory to West Midlands Police when that was constituted on 1 April 1974. It changed its name from "West Mercia Constabulary" to "West Mercia Police" on 5 May 2009.

Chief Constables
  • 1967–1975 : Sir John Willison OBE QPM DL[7]
  • 1975–1981 : Alex Rennie [8]
  • 1981–1985 : Bob Cozens [9]
  • 1985–1991 : Anthony Mullett [10]
  • 1991–1999 : David Cecil Blakey [11]
  • 1999–2003 : Peter Hampson [11]
  • 2003–2011 : Paul West
  • 2011–2016 : David Shaw
  • 2016– : Anthony Bangham[12]

Organisation
A West Mercia police car

West Mercia Police is overseen by an elected West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner, which replaced the West Mercia Police Authority in 2012.

The force is organised into five Local Policing Units (LPAs)[1] which are alphabetically coded (C, D, E, F, G) by geographical areas. Operating across three counties, West Mercia Police maintains many stations, with each LPA having an HQ Police station. The LPAs are further divided into Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs); there are 82 SNTs across the force.

Listed below are the LPAs and police stations maintained by the force:

C – South Worcestershire

Covering Worcester, Malvern, Droitwich, Pershore and Evesham

West Mercia Police also owns Defford, formerly RAF Defford

D – North Worcestershire

Covering Kidderminster, Bromsgrove and Redditch

  • Kidderminster (LPA HQ / Custody)
  • Stourport
  • Bewdley
  • Hagley
  • Wythall
  • Rubery
  • Bromsgrove
  • Redditch

E – Herefordshire

F – Shropshire

(excluding Telford & Wrekin)

Some areas of Shropshire are covered by Telford and Hereford officers.

G – Telford & Wrekin

Volunteer police cadets scheme

A volunteer cadet scheme had existed in the Telford division since the early 1990s and in September 2013, the scheme was expanded force-wide, creating a new detachment of police cadets in each Territorial Policing Unit area. Each detachment is headquartered in the respective TPU HQ, except the South Worcestershire detachment, which is based at Tudor Grange Academy.

In 2010, the Telford Cadets Detachment was awarded The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.

According to West Mercia Police's website, "The scheme is aimed at young people who wish to engage in a program that offers them an opportunity to gain a practical understanding of policing, develop their spirit of adventure and good citizenship, while supporting their local policing priorities through volunteering, working with partner agencies and positive participation in their communities."

A new intake of approximately 15 new cadets per detachment occurs annually. New recruits must be aged 16 or over and have finished secondary education. Young people can remain as cadets for up to two years. Cadets can then consider joining the force at age 18, becoming a cadet leader in their detachment, or leaving the scheme altogether.

Each detachment is led by several cadet leaders who are police officers, PCSOs and police volunteers from the force.

Merger plans

In November 2005, the government announced major reforms of policing in England and Wales, including the possibility of mergers. Under final proposals made by the Home Secretary on 6 February 2006, it would merge with Staffordshire Police, Warwickshire Constabulary and West Midlands Police to form a single strategic force for the West Midlands region. The proposals were unpopular with many of the local authorities in the West Mercia area, but was criticised especially strongly by West Mercia Constabulary inself, especially as at the time it was rated the best force in the country. When John Reid became Home Secretary in 2006, he put all merger plans on hold. Subsequent governments have not made any indication of re-introducing such plans.

Alliances

West Mercia was a partner, alongside three other forces, in the Central Motorway Police Group. On 8 April 2018 West Mercia withdrew from the CPMG, with the 25 West Mercia police officers attached to the group returning to the in-force roads policing service.

In 2013, West Mercia Police and Warwickshire Police formed an alliance, sharing certain administrative functions in order to save both forces money. In October 2018 West Mercia announced its intention to withdraw from the alliance.[13] This announcement came as a shock to staff in both forces.

Bibliography
  • Policing Shropshire 1836–1967 by Douglas J. Elliott. Contains black and white plates, including illustration of badges as a frontispiece.[14]

See also

References
  1. "The West Mercia Environment | Joint Policing Plan 2010–13 | Our Publications | About Us". Westmercia.police.uk. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  2. http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/performance-and-measurement/performance-assessment/assessments-2007-2008/west-mercia
  3. Roach & Hartman, eds. (1997) English Pronouncing Dictionary, 15th edition. (Cambridge University Press). p. 316; see also J.C. Wells, Longman Pronunciation Dictionary and Upton et al., Oxford Dictionary of Pronunciation for Current English.
  4. '"Mercian, n. and adj.". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). September 2001. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  5. "Police workforce, England and Wales: 30 September 2017". GOV.UK. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  6. Archived 28 April 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Knights Bachelor". The London Gazette (Supplement). No. 45117. 5 June 1970. p. 6366.
  8. "Fascinating story of life as a police officer". Droitwich Spa Advertiser. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  9. "Tributes paid after death of ex-chief constable who 'turned West Mercia Police around'". Shropshire Star. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  10. "REPORT OF THE MEETING OF WEST MERCIA POLICE AUTHORITY HELD ON 21 SEPTEMBER 2004" (PDF). West Mercia Police. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  11. "Chief and Deputy Chief Constables 1990 to 2010". West Mercia Police. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  12. "Chief Constable Anthony Bangham - Biography". West Mercia Police. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  13. "Police forces to scrap alliance". BBC News. 9 October 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  14. Detail from a copy of Policing Shropshire published by K A F Brewin Books in 1994 with ISBN 0-947731-01-6
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