AN EXTRA 200 West Midlands police officers are to be recruited over the next two years with numbers set to grow for the first time in over a decade.
The region’s police and crime commissioner David Jamieson announced the increase, with recruitment set to open shortly.
He says the move will see additional officers brought in to work in areas worst affected by violent crime.
Mr Jamieson has joined many other prominent police figures in describing the rise in violent crime as a ‘national emergency.’
He added the rise in council tax, announced earlier this year, prevented West Midlands Police from shrinking any further.
But he has now announced efficiency savings, made through various ‘modernisation projects’, will allow extra officers to be recruited.
Force figures show officer numbers were due to fall to 6,539 by 2021, but will now rise to 6,739.
A new student officer programme is set to be rolled out with training delivered in partnership with a university.
Student officers will work towards a policing degree alongside their practical training in different teams across the force.
Chief constable Dave Thompson said: “We all 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 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.
“West Midlands Police has faced cuts to its budget from government of £175million over the last nine years.
“I will continue to campaign for a better funding settlement for West Midlands Police.
““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.”
Knife crime in the West Midlands has risen by 85 per cent since 2012 and gun crime has risen by over a third during the same period.
