West Mercia Constabulary
Encyclopedia
West Mercia Police, formerly known as West Mercia Constabulary, is the territorial police force
responsible for policing the counties of Shropshire
(including Telford and Wrekin
), Herefordshire
and Worcestershire
in England
. The force area covers 2868 square miles (7,428.1 km²) making it the fourth largest police area in England and Wales
. The resident population of the area is 1.19 million.
The force is divided into five divisions and represent a very wide spread of policing environments from densely populated urban conurbations on the edge of Birmingham and the city of Worcester to sparsely populated rural areas found in the rest of the force area.
As of March 2010, the force employs 2367 police officers, 277 community support officers, 1540 police staff and 288 members of the Special Constabulary. West Mercia is Home Office force 22 and call sign YK.
In 2005 the police force was rated the best of the Home Office
forces in England and Wales by the government.
The force has its headquarters in the historical manor house and grounds of Hindlip Hall
on the outskirts of the city of Worcester
. Its logo combines the heraldry
of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire.
The force was formed on 1 October 1967, by the merger of the Worcestershire Constabulary, Herefordshire Constabulary, Shropshire Constabulary and Worcester City Police. http://www.westmercia.police.uk/aboutus/hq.htm http://www.knowledgenetwork.gov.uk/HO/CircularsOld.nsf/0/8186830445D6421380256D730043621B/$file/Home%20Office%20Circular%20189%20-%201967.pdf It lost territory to West Midlands Police
when that was constituted on 1 April 1974. It changed its name from "West Mercia Constabulary" to "West Mercia Police" on 5 May 2009.
West Mercia is a partner, alongside two other forces, in the Central Motorway Police Group
.
Paul West, QPM, who retired as Chief Constable on July 31, 2011 is the longest serving Chief Constable in the force's history. He was succeeded by his Deputy Chief Constable, David Shaw, who took up the senior post on August 1, 2011.http://www.westmercia.police.uk/news/news-articles/new-chief-constable-appointed-to-succeed-paul-west.html
Under final proposals made by the Home Secretary
on 6 February 2006, it would merge with Staffordshire Police
, Warwickshire Constabulary and West Midlands Police
to form a single strategic force for the West Midlands
region. This came under particular criticism from West Mercia Constabulary, especially as it was rated the best force in the country. Instead, the constabulary wishes to remain a separate force. The proposals are also unpopular with many of the local authorities in the West Mercia area.
When John Reid
became Home Secretary
in 2006, he put plans to merge the force on hold, and now it seems likely that the plans might be scrapped altogether. As of 12 July 2006 the merger plans have been on hold.
The coalition government has not made any indication of re-introducing any such plans.
(WMP also owns Defford, formerly RAF Defford)
(*WMP also rent offices from BT in Hereford)
Territorial police force
The phrase Territorial Police Force varies in precise meaning according to the country to which it is related, generally distinguishing a force whose area of responsibility is defined by sub-national boundaries from others which deal with the entire country or a restricted range of...
responsible for policing the counties of Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
(including Telford and Wrekin
Telford and Wrekin
Telford and Wrekin is a unitary district with borough status in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. The district was created in 1974 as The...
), Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
and Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The force area covers 2868 square miles (7,428.1 km²) making it the fourth largest police area in England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
. The resident population of the area is 1.19 million.
The force is divided into five divisions and represent a very wide spread of policing environments from densely populated urban conurbations on the edge of Birmingham and the city of Worcester to sparsely populated rural areas found in the rest of the force area.
As of March 2010, the force employs 2367 police officers, 277 community support officers, 1540 police staff and 288 members of the Special Constabulary. West Mercia is Home Office force 22 and call sign YK.
In 2005 the police force was rated the best of the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
forces in England and Wales by the government.
The force has its headquarters in the historical manor house and grounds of Hindlip Hall
Hindlip Hall
Hindlip Hall is in Worcestershire. The first major hall was built before 1575. It played a significant role in both the Babington and the Gunpowder plots . It was Humphrey Littleton who told the authorities that Edward Oldcorne was hiding here after he had been heard saying Mass at Hindlip Hall...
on the outskirts of the city of Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
. Its logo combines the heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire.
The force was formed on 1 October 1967, by the merger of the Worcestershire Constabulary, Herefordshire Constabulary, Shropshire Constabulary and Worcester City Police. http://www.westmercia.police.uk/aboutus/hq.htm http://www.knowledgenetwork.gov.uk/HO/CircularsOld.nsf/0/8186830445D6421380256D730043621B/$file/Home%20Office%20Circular%20189%20-%201967.pdf It lost territory to West Midlands Police
West Midlands Police
West Midlands Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England.Covering an area with nearly 2.6 million inhabitants, which includes the cities of Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton and also the Black Country; the force is made up...
when that was constituted on 1 April 1974. It changed its name from "West Mercia Constabulary" to "West Mercia Police" on 5 May 2009.
West Mercia is a partner, alongside two other forces, in the Central Motorway Police Group
Central Motorway Police Group
The Central Motorway Police Group is a co-operative operation between three police forces in the West Midlands of England. Officers from the three forces involved - Staffordshire Police, West Mercia Police and West Midlands Police - provide a dedicated policing service on several hundred miles of...
.
Paul West, QPM, who retired as Chief Constable on July 31, 2011 is the longest serving Chief Constable in the force's history. He was succeeded by his Deputy Chief Constable, David Shaw, who took up the senior post on August 1, 2011.http://www.westmercia.police.uk/news/news-articles/new-chief-constable-appointed-to-succeed-paul-west.html
Territorial Policing Units
West Mercia Police is organised into five territorial policing units which are alphabetically coded geographically from south to north.- C- South WorcestershireWorcestershireWorcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, covering WorcesterWorcesterThe City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
, MalvernMalvern, WorcestershireMalvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
, Droitwich, PershorePershorePershore is a market town in Worcestershire, England, on the banks of the River Avon. Pershore is in the Wychavon district and is part of the West Worcestershire parliamentary constituency. At the 2001 census the population was 7,304...
and EveshamEveshamEvesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon... - D- North Worcestershire, covering KidderminsterKidderminsterKidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
, BromsgroveBromsgroveBromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England. The town is about north east of Worcester and south west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 with a small ethnic minority and is in Bromsgrove District.- History :Bromsgrove is first documented in the early 9th century...
and RedditchRedditchRedditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry... - E- HerefordshireHerefordshireHerefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
- F- ShropshireShropshireShropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
(excluding Telford & Wrekin) - G- Telford & Wrekin
Merger plans
In November 2005 the government announced major reforms of policing in England and Wales, which raised the prospect of West Mercia Constabulary being merged with other forces in the West Midlands region.Under final proposals made by the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
on 6 February 2006, it would merge with Staffordshire Police
Staffordshire Police
Staffordshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent in the West Midlands of England...
, Warwickshire Constabulary and West Midlands Police
West Midlands Police
West Midlands Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England.Covering an area with nearly 2.6 million inhabitants, which includes the cities of Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton and also the Black Country; the force is made up...
to form a single strategic force for the West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
region. This came under particular criticism from West Mercia Constabulary, especially as it was rated the best force in the country. Instead, the constabulary wishes to remain a separate force. The proposals are also unpopular with many of the local authorities in the West Mercia area.
When John Reid
John Reid (politician)
John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, PC is a British politician, who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament and cabinet minister under Tony Blair, most notably as Defence Secretary and then Home Secretary...
became Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
in 2006, he put plans to merge the force on hold, and now it seems likely that the plans might be scrapped altogether. As of 12 July 2006 the merger plans have been on hold.
The coalition government has not made any indication of re-introducing any such plans.
Stations
Operating across 3 administrative counties, West Mercia Police maintains many stations, including:Worcestershire
- Worcester (C TPU HQ / Custody)
(WMP also owns Defford, formerly RAF Defford)
- Pershore
- Malvern
- Evesham
- Broadway
- Droitwich
- Tenbury Wells
- Upton-On-Seven
- Stourport
- Bewdley
- Hagley
- Wythall
- Rubery
- Redditch (Custody)
- Kidderminster (D TPU HQ / Custody)
- Bromsgrove
Herefordshire
- Hereford (E TPU HQ / Custody)
- South Hereford
(*WMP also rent offices from BT in Hereford)
- Leominster (Custody)
- Bromyard
- Ledbury
- Peterchurch
- Ross-on-Wye
- Kington
Shropshire
- Shrewsbury (F TPU HQ / Custody)
- Bishop Castle
- Bridgnorth
- Church Stretton
- Ludlow
- Market Drayton
- Oswestry
- Pontesbury
- Wem
- Whitchurch
- Albrighton
- Cleobury
- Ellesmere
- Highley
- Much Wenlock
- Shifnal
- Telford (G TPU HQ/Custody)
- Newport
- Wellington
- Donnington
- Madeley
See also
- List of police forces in the United Kingdom
- Policing in the United KingdomPolicing in the United KingdomLaw enforcement in the United Kingdom is organised separately in each of the legal systems of the United Kingdom: England & Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland ....
- Central Motorway Police GroupRoad Policing UnitThe Road Policing Unit is the term for the Highway patrol within the majority of British police forces.-Responsibilities:RPUs work with the National Roads Policing Strategy, which has five strands:* Casualty reduction.* Counter-terrorism....