PCC pledges support for alliance (From Worcester News)

Bill Longmore fully supports the alliance between West Mercia and Warwickshire police forces

11:44am Wednesday 28th November 2012 in News By Elizabeth Sweetman, @lizsweetmanWN #worcsnews

THE new Police and Crime Commissioners for West Mercia and Warwickshire have pledged their full support to the alliance between the two police forces.

Bill Longmore and Ron Ball, who took up post last week, have announced their endorsement of the programme of change set out in the blueprint for the Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police alliance.

Speaking today, Mr Longmore, the PCC for West Mercia, said: "The plans in place to deliver high quality, value for money policing services to communities in Warwickshire and West Mercia are extremely well considered.

“Having met with both chief constables today and reviewed the alliance blueprint both myself and Mr Ball have every confidence that both forces will achieve the cost reductions required and the alliance will increase resilience in critical areas of service delivery. This will result in the more efficient delivery of policing to communities.

"We both recognise the hard work and efforts which have gone in to the progress reached to date and fully support the implementation of the alliance blueprint and the drive forward to achieve these changes."

Both PCCs reiterated that their role was to hold the chief constable to account and added that they were confident that policing delivered in alliance will provide better protection than either force could achieve alone.

Their top priority is to ensure the provision of high quality, value for money policing services to the people of Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, and Warwickshire and said that the alliance will achieve this.