| West Mercia Police | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1 October 1967; 58 years ago (1967-10-01) |
| Preceding agencies |
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| Employees | 4,195[1] |
| Volunteers | 288[2] |
| Annual budget | £302 million[3] |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Herefordshire,Shropshire,Telford and Wrekin andWorcestershire, England, United Kingdom |
.svg) | |
| Map of police area | |
| Size | 7,428 km²/2,868 sqmi[1] |
| Population | 1.19 million[1] |
| Legal jurisdiction | England and Wales |
| Constituting instrument | |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Overseen by | |
| Headquarters | Hindlip Hall,Worcestershire |
| PCs | 2,367 (of which 224 arespecial constables)[1] |
| PCSOs | 283 |
| PCC responsible |
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| Agency executive |
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| Local Policing Areas | 5
|
| Facilities | |
| Police Stations | 48 |
| Cars | 609 |
| Vans | 140 |
| Motorbikes | 37 |
| Dogs | 40 |
| Website | |
www | |
West Mercia Police (/ˈmɜːrsiə/),[4][5] formerly theWest Mercia Constabulary, is theterritorial police force responsible for policing the counties ofHerefordshire,Shropshire (includingTelford and Wrekin) andWorcestershire in England. The force area covers 2,868 square miles (7,430 km2) making it the fourth largest police area inEngland and Wales. The resident population of the area is 1.19 million[1] Its name comes from the ancient kingdom ofMercia.
The force represents a diverse range of policing environments from densely populated urban areas on the edge ofBirmingham as well asTelford,Shrewsbury, andWorcester, to sparsely populated rural areas, such as Herefordshire, which remains an important part of the force's responsibility.
As of September 2017, the force has a workforce of 2,017 police officers, 223police community support officers, 1541 police staff and 388 members of thespecial constabulary.[6]
The force has its headquarters in the historical manor house and grounds ofHindlip Hall on the outskirts ofWorcester. Its badge combines theheraldry of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire.
The force was formed on 1 October 1967, by the merger of theWorcestershire Constabulary,Herefordshire Constabulary,Shropshire Constabulary and Worcester City Police.[7] It lost territory toWest 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.
In November 2005, the government announced major reforms of policing in England and Wales, including the possibility of mergers. Under final proposals made by theHome Secretary on 6 February 2006, it would merge withStaffordshire Police,Warwickshire Constabulary andWest Midlands Police to form a single strategic force for theWest 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 itself, especially as at the time it was rated the best force in the country. WhenJohn Reid becameHome Secretary in 2006, he put all merger plans on hold. Subsequent governments have not made any indication of re-introducing such plans.
West Mercia Police is overseen by an electedWest Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner, which replaced theWest 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 82Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT).
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) conducts a periodic police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy (PEEL) inspection of each police service's performance. In its latest PEEL inspection report (2022), West Mercia Police was rated as follows:[17]
| Outstanding | Good | Adequate | Requires Improvement | Inadequate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 rating |
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Avolunteer cadet scheme had existed in theTelford 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 atTudor Grange Academy.
In 2010, the Telford Cadets Detachment was awarded TheQueen'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 finishedsecondary 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.
West Mercia was a partner, alongside three other forces, in theCentral Motorway Police Group (CMPG). On 8 April 2018, West Mercia withdrew from the CMPG, with the 25 West Mercia police officers attached to the group returning to the in-force roads policing service.
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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.[18]
A 2022 inquiry into theTelford child sexual exploitation scandal – in which all those who were convicted wereBritish Pakistanis – found that "in some cases the decisions of West Mercia Police officers about whether or not to investigate a particular piece of intelligence or complaint were influenced by assumptions about race. Whether because of ideas of difficulties investigating what was seen as a closed and hostile community, because of fear of complaint, or because of concern about the impact an investigation might have had on racial tensions, I cannot determine".[19]The inquiry, chaired byTom Crowther QC, found that authorities were hesitant to investigate due to concerns about race, and teachers and youth workers were discouraged from reportingChild sexual abuse. This led to a lack of "hard evidence" and allowed offenders to operate with impunity. Despite Operation Chalice in 2013, which resulted in the conviction of seven men for child prostitution offenses, police and council scaled back specialist child sexual exploitation teams. The inquiry echoed findings from national reports onChild sexual abuse in the United Kingdom, highlighting the downplaying of the issue and the tendency to blame children for their abuse.[20]
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