Support for police force mergers not there - PCC

The public does not yet support government proposals to cut the number of police forces, West Mercia's police crime and commissioner has said.

John Campion opened a consultation for residents in Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Worcestershire earlier this year after the home secretary announced a raft of proposals to change the current policing model.

He said his results showed 57% of people opposed the plans, with 22% in support and 21% unsure.

The Home Office has previously said that reducing the number of forces will not make policing less local.

Plans announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in January included a new National Police Service (NPS) to fight complex cross-border crime, as well as the potential for cutting the number of local forces in England and Wales by about two-thirds.

The Police Federation said at the time that "fewer forces alone will not guarantee better policing". But the government said in its white paper that launching the plans the police system - that was designed in the 1960s, and based around 43 local police forces- was no longer fit for purpose.

Some police chiefs back the plans but Campion said his results showed the support from the public was not there.

"I was quite surprised by the response," he said.

"I think the message from the consultation is clear, there isn't yet the public support across West Mercia for what the government is thinking about doing."

He said concerns that were raised were the public wanting to ensure local policing priorities were in place, and officers were visible in the community.

"Ultimately [the public wanted to know] that the local police force understood the community it was policing, [and] the knowledge of that local area.

"We're already three counties that work together, and if you're in Whitchurch in north Shropshire versus Whitchurch in south Herefordshire that's a long way apart, and it's quite difficult to ensure we can serve both."

He said although some police chiefs approved of the proposals, he said they were police chiefs of large metropolitan areas.

"My problem is, one size does not fit all. We are different in our rural way of life.

"Lots of things in Shropshire for example, I imagine, are very rare in the centre of London.

"It's not that one is better than the other, we are just different."

He said he would be sending his results to the home secretary, adding: "The government have got a long way to go to ensure the public in West Mercia, who pay for the service we're talking about, support the reforms that they're talking about doing."

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