Telford councillor welcomes motorway policing decision
Telford & Wrekin Councillor Clive Elliott - a former chair of the Motorway Policing Panel on West Mercia Police Authority - has welcomed news that West Mercia Police has decided to remain part of the Central Motorway Police Group.
The decision comes after a lengthy and in-depth review of the force's membership in light of the strategic alliance with Warwickshire Police Force. The review - started last Spring - looked at the whole range of benefits to West Mercia from continued membership and concluded that the force is best served in it's battle against criminal gang activity by remaining within CMPG.
Cllr Elliott said: "The Central Motorway Police Group provides vital strategic oversight of not just the motorway network across our region, but also retains the infrastructure to monitor criminal movement off the motorways and I am pleased West Mercia Police have recognised this. The decision sends a clear message to criminal gangs that West Mercia is serious about tackling crime.
"I am hopeful that Warwickshire will reconsider their decision and that CMPG can also coordinate better with neighbouring forces to the east to make the whole of central England a no-go area for criminal gangs.
"I want to pay tribute to the work done by Superintendent Martin Evans of CMPG and Assistant Chief Constable Karen Manners who carried out the review."
CMPG is based at Perry Barr but operates across West Mercia, Staffordshire and the West Midlands. It is funded from the three force budgets with an annual budget of approximately £7.5 million.
