140 police posts to go (From Ledbury Reporter)
Get involved! Send your photos, video, news & views by texting MG NEWS to 80360 or e-mail us
140 police posts to go
5:30pm Tuesday 15th January 2013 in News
ABOUT 140 police officer jobs will be axed across the West Mercia force area over the next four years, it has emerged.
Under a controversial deal with Warwickshire, the forces will lose a combined 200 frontline officers by 2016 – 70 per cent of whom will come from West Mercia Police.
Meanwhile residents are being encouraged to pay for an increase in council tax from April – with the region’s newly elected police chief saying a freeze could lead to more cuts.
Bill Longmore, who on Wednesday launched a draft version of his new Police and Crime Plan, is giving households the option to pay an extra £3.64 a year.
He says the small rise would fund 30 police constable jobs beyond 2015/16 and wants the public to send him feedback on it this month.
The plan, designed to last until 2017, includes 450 civilian job cuts across both forces, including 315 from West Mercia Police.
- People have until Monday, January 28 to have their say on the plan, which can be viewed at westmerciapcc.
gov.uk. To get involved, write to Mr Longmore at OPCC West Mercia, PO Box 487, Shrewsbury, SY2 6WB or e-mail opcc@westmerciapnn.
police.uk.
Ubique5740 says...
6:03pm Tue 15 Jan 13
Would suggest that most if not all of the Police jobs to go are Officers retiring at the end of their service or due to ill health. It's not a drama,there are plenty of PCSO who are going to be given more Powers according to the Report....!