West Mercia Police in position to hit savings target

West Mercia Police is in a ‘good position’ to achieve the millions of pounds of savings it needs to make by 2015, a report said today.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary said that the force, which is responsible for policing in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, was on course to hit its target of saving £31 million between March 2011 and March 2015.

It comes after the force entered into an alliance with Warwickshire Police last month which will see the two forces cutting 650 officers and staff posts by March 2015, with almost 100 being police constable posts.

Nationally, the HMIC’s report found the police need to save a combined £2.4 billion by March 2015, resulting in the loss of about 5,800 frontline officers.

HM Inspector of Constabulary for the Western Region, Dru Sharpling, said: “The force is in a good position to make the savings they need to by March 2015.”