Police and Crime Commissioner gives backing to forces’ alliance plan

Mr Ball and Bill Longmore, who took up their posts recently, have announced their endorsement of the programme of change set out in the blueprint for the Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police alliance.

Mr Ball said: “Both myself and Mr Longmore have now been in post for nearly a week and this has given us the opportunity to fully review and understand the proposals under the alliance plans.

“Having both gained a detailed understanding of the rationale behind the alliance it is extremely obvious that in order to achieve the £30.3 million cost reductions across both forces while continuing to deliver the best possible protection, radical changes have to be implemented.”

Mr Longmore added: “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 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 Police and Crime Commissioners 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.

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

Mr Ball was elected Warwickshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner last month.