Police and Crime Commissioner pledges to keep listening

It emerged at the meeting that Bill’s conversations with people had already led to proposals for services in North Shropshire being strengthened including the retention of police stations at Oswestry and Market Drayton as patrol bases.

Plans to review the police estate, including the closure of some police stations, are due to save £1.5 million, which is the equivalent of keeping 30 Police Constables or 51 PCSOs on the beat.

Announcing the proposals last week, Chief Constable David Shaw stressed that it was police officers who protected people from crime, not buildings, and a police station closing did not mean that an area would not be patrolled.

Bill Longmore, West Mercia PCC, is holding another meeting at the Worcester Whitehouse Hotel, Foregate Street, Worcester, on Tuesday 5 March 2013, from 1pm to 4pm.

A public meeting is also taking place at Ellesmere Police Station on Saturday 9 March at 11am. Bill has already met with people at Newport, Cleobury Mortimer, Albrighton and Much Wenlock among others, with more visits on the agenda for the coming weeks.

Bill said: “I am more than happy to travel anywhere in the West Mercia area to talk to people about these proposals, because I think it’s really important that we explain what it all means for people. The fact is that we have to save about £20 million by 2015, and we have to make the best possible use of the police estate.

“But having said that, if a community has a particular need for a police station, or there’s an opportunity to share a building with someone else, we need to consider everything very carefully. I will continue talking to as many people as I can between now and the end of March when the Chief Constable will submit his final proposals.”

People can contact Bill by visiting the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner website at www.westmercia-pcc.gov.uk.