One chief constable for West Mercia and Warwickshire 'unworkable'
The idea of having one chief constable to rule over the two police forces serving Shropshire has been branded "unworkable" by Warwickshire's crime commissioner.
Ron Ball said one senior officer to lead both forces would not work, after his counterpart in West Mercia, Bill Longmore, said the idea was being discussed.
West Mercia Police, which serves Shropshire, has formed a strategic alliance with Warwickshire Police which means all staff below the rank of deputy chief constable are shared and the budgets are pooled.
But the law requires each to have a chief constable, and both earn more than £130,000 a year.
Mr Longmore responded after Keith Vaz, the Labour MP who heads the Parliamentary Home Affairs Committee, branded the situation a waste of taxpayers' money.
Mr Vaz called for a change to the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 so that it would be possible to appoint just one leader in forces sharing a high number of services.
Mr Longmore said: "Shared leadership is subject to ongoing discussion."
But Mr Ball, Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner said: "It would appear that I need to clarify what the Strategic Alliance between Warwickshire and West Mercia police forces is.
"It is the best collaborative arrangement between two independently funded police forces in the country, by some considerable margin.
"There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding about this.
"To have one chief constable held accountable by two commissioners - who could have completely differing views - would be unworkable in my view.
"The fact that the alliance has worked - and is working - as well as it has is because the relationships between the senior people involved have been based on mutual understanding and respect.
"That needs to continue if the alliance is to continue to flourish.
"Vast sums could be taken out of police budgets across England and Wales if other forces were able to replicate what we have achieved in Warwickshire and West Mercia.
"We have achieved those savings and still maintained a high degree of local accountability.
"When senior politicians make observations about us wasting public money - as they have - they might like to note that no other forces are anywhere near where the Strategic Alliance is in terms of achieving savings by collaboration."
West Mercia chief constable, David Shaw, has already said a single chief constable overseeing both forces would be the best option in the long run.
