Police force could lose 2,000 officers

Up to 2,000 police officers could quit the West Midlands force in the next three years, leaving the service with a recruitment headache, it was revealed today.

The problem arises as officers who joined during the boom of the late 1970s, following big improvements in pay and conditions, retire.

The exodus will leave the force short in several specialist areas, in particular forensic and analytical posts, according to a new report by Chief Constable Sir Paul Scott-Lee.

He said: "The improvement in police pay and conditions in the 1970s attracted large numbers of recruits who are now approaching 30 years' service and have the option to retire.

"This means that the force could potentially lose up to 2,000 officers in the period running up to 2011-12."

The forecast follows the departure of 1,900 officers over the past four years, meaning the force will have experienced a turnover of nearly half its officers in an eight-year period.

A number of initiatives are in place to tackle the problem, including a scheme which allows officers to stay on past the standard 30 years and draw their pension lump sum. Some 95 officers have so far taken up this option.

An in-house staff agency has also been set up, with more than 100 employees currently on its books, offering short to medium-term contracts to staff who may have retired or left the force.

The number of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) to join the force as fully-fledged constables since 2004 stands at 192 and this trend is being encouraged, says Sir Paul.

Between 2001 and 2008, the number of police officers in the West Midlands increased from 7,901 to 8,561. There are 813 PCSOs, who have powers similar to those of traffic wardens.

Sir Paul will present his findings on Thursday.