Record police numbers for West Mercia (From Worcester News)

Record police numbers for West Mercia

11:15am Wednesday 17th October 2007 in

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WEST Mercia has record numbers of police officers - with the force expected to hit its 2,500 target by March 2008.

Worcester MP Mike Foster congratulated West Mercia after he revealed officer numbers were at an all time high, especially after the force was ranked as one of the best performing in England and Wales in a performance table last week.

"There is a great deal to celebrate with this news," he said.

"Local people I think will be surprised, but pleased to hear that their local police force has record levels of police officers patrolling our streets.

"Of course there is still a great deal to do.

"People want to see their local police officers in their streets, tackling local problems, especially anti-social behaviour.

"But the bottom line is that the extra officers recruited make it possible now."

There are currently 2,477 officers on the payroll, compared with 2003 in the year 2000. West Mercia also has 270 community support officers and 263 special constables.

However, Andy White, chairman of the West Mercia's Joint Branch Board of the Police Federation, said: "There are more police officers here, but again we are still not seeing them out on the streets where they should be because they are being tied up with bureaucracy."

He said officers are also filling posts to meet the demands of level two policing, which includes drugs enforcement and terrorism.

"We have still got the same strength of officers on the street but we have had to develop those roles to deal with level two crime," he said.

"Whilst the amount of officers within West Mercia is at an all time high, they are not necessarily uniform response officers."

A force spokeswoman said: "The highly visible policing presence in local communities provided by local policing teams is a valuable reassurance to people and is showing real successes.

"The force and the police authority recognise the importance of ensuring these resources are supported by significant additional investment in the less visible areas of policing which are equally as important in ensuring the force continues to do all it can to keep people safe."