West Midlands Police to take on 200 officers to fight violent crime
West Midlands Police is to take on 200 new officers in a bid to tackle violent crime – the first time recruitment has increased in more than a decade.
The force will boost its ranks to 6,739 by 2021, with the extra officers funded by an efficiency drive which bosses say has cut waste, delivered new technology and improved working practices.
WMP has lost more than 2,000 officers since 2010 along £175m from its budget, prompting and the region's Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson to raise council tax by £24-a-year to prevent further cuts.
Recruitment for the posts will start in the in the near future. The announcement comes at a time when violent crime has rocketed by 26 per cent over a year.
Knife crime has risen by 85 per cent since 2012 and gun crime has gone up by more than a third over the same period.
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WMP Chief Constable Dave Thompson, said: “The public and the staff of West Midlands Police will welcome the first growth in police officers in over a decade.
"The new officers will be deployed in priority neighbourhoods that are facing serious crime challenges, in response policing – to improve our ability to get to the public at times of need – and into the investigation of priority crimes of violence, robbery and burglary.
"This is a good step forward I hope future funding can build upon."
Mr Jamieson, who last year demanded 500 more officers to stem the rising time of crime, said savings made from the WMP2020 project had enabled the force to boost its numbers.
“These officers will make a difference to tackling violent crime in the West Midlands," he added.
“Despite the huge efficiencies made by the force, these additional officers will not make up for the more than 2,000 lost since 2010.
“These extra officers have been delivered following a rigorous efficiency making exercise. We’ve looked at every process and are now able to reinvest these savings on the front line.
“Unfortunately, West Midlands Police had a stand still budget once increased pension and wage costs are considered. Thankfully West Midlands Police’s efficiency programme has enabled officer numbers to increase.”
Mr Jamieson, who has described the rise in violent crime as a "national emergency", added: “Officer numbers are a hugely important part of the response against violent crime, but investment in preventative services is key too.
“I am also pushing the Government to fund the expansion of the West Midlands Violence Prevention Alliance, which brings together the police, health service and other agencies to take a public health approach to tackling violence.
“In the short term, I am also putting together a special grant bid to government to increase capacity this year, to allow West Midlands Police to continue to make an intensive response to violent crime.”
Mr Thompson was one of a number of senior officers to attend talks with Home Secretary Sajid Javid this week over the knife crime epidemic.
He described the meeting as "positive", while Mr Javid said he was "absolutely committed" to working with police forces over the issue of resources.
