Strategic alliance agreed by West Mercia and Warwickshire Police forces

Both West Mercia and Warwickshire Police Authorities have accepted the professional recommendations of Warwickshire Chief Constable Keith Bristow and West Mercia Chief Constable-designate David Shaw to deliver all policing services across both force areas.

The Strategic Alliance recommendations, unanimously agreed by West Mercia Police Authority yesterday and Warwickshire Police Authority today, will enable both forces to meet the challenge of reducing policing budgets and provide greater operational and organisational resilience.

Both forces will retain Chief Constables who remain accountable to their Police Authorities for delivery of policing. Force identities will also be retained within an alliance and both forces and authorities are keen to stress that local policing priorities agreed with local communities and partners will continue to be addressed.

To support Chief Constables and Deputy Chief Constables in each force, two Assistant Chief Constables and a Director to, respectively, lead the delivery of local policing, protective services and those services that support the delivery of policing across both force areas was also approved. This will make a senior leadership team of seven officers and staff.

The professional recommendations include a change to how forces are currently planning to deliver reductions in budget, through the creation of a single change programme for both forces, and the necessary legal agreements to enable officers and staff to operate across both force areas.

However, both forces will retain their separate governance and accountability arrangements (through their Police Authorities), policing budgets, assets and financial accounting arrangements, including independent financial advice.

Most importantly, both forces recognise that policing across both areas must continue to address the greatest harms within each area as well as continuing to operate effectively within communities to address local priorities agreed with the public and local partners.

Police Authorities have asked both Chief Constables to take forward the creation of a single change programme and the detailed design and implementation work required to make the alliance a reality.

Sheila Blagg, Chair of West Mercia Police Authority said:

"Both forces and Authorities are keen to ensure that policing continues to focus on protecting communities from harm at both force and local level. It is important that the excellent work and engagement of local policing teams flourishes under an alliance and that local accountability is maintained. Senior officers within each county and unitary area will continue to meet regularly with partners to ensure that we continue to engage effectively and address local policing concerns.

"There is a substantial amount of work now for both authorities and forces to agree the timetable for detailed design, planning and implementation of alliance change. The decision of both authorities is only the first step toward more efficient and effective policing for local communities across both force areas, but a very exciting one," she added.

Phil Robson, Chair of Warwickshire Police Authority said:

"We are building a long-term alliance that will deliver tangible benefits for the public in years ahead. There will be an increase in the resources available for patrol, response and protective services compared to if we were to continue to operate independently. This can be achieved by reductions in the cost of resource functions, such as HR, IT and Estates that, while vital to the delivery of policing, can be delivered once for both forces."