THIRTY-two beat managers have now been appointed to cover north Worcestershire as part of a restructuring which will shape the future of policing.

Extra beat managers have been taken on as part of the national Local Policing initiative, which aims to have teams of officers dedicated to an identified ward area tackling local issues at a local level.

The beat managers will work alongside a local policing team and cover specific areas across the division.

The aim is for people to get to know who their beat managers are and how they can be contacted.

Redditch now has a total of 10 beat managers, Wyre Forest has 13 and Bromsgrove district has nine.

The beat managers will also be supported by Community Support Officers, who will provide high visibility patrols to increase reassurance, support partnership working and work towards improving the quality of life for residents in their designated area.

Posters with photographs and contact information of each beat manager will be released across the division early in the new year.

Beat managers will also be producing monthly newsletters containing information from the Partners and Communities Together (PACT) meetings.

Chief Supt Mark Howard said: "Local policing is all about building on what we already have to create neighbourhoods that are safe and feel safe using a police service which is accessible and responsive to the needs of the citizen."