West Mercia’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Bill Longmore and Chief Constable, David Shaw today announced the changes.
In February 2013, the Mr Longmore and Chief Constable Shaw revealed that local policing services would be delivered in a different way from September onwards.
At that time they outlined their commitment to make the safer neighbourhood teams and response officers as visible and accessible to people as possible.
Albrighton, and Ellesmere police stations will close as part of the changes being replaced with community policing posts. Whitchurch police station is to close and be replaced with a safer neighbourhoods team base. The new posts and base locations are yet to be decided.
In Bridgnorth the safer neighbourhood team base was going to move to a new building, but will now remain in the current building.
Ludlow’s safer neighbourhood team will remain in the current building for now, but will be subject to a further review.
Community policing posts will be created in Shifnal, Newport, Craven Arms and Cleobury Mortimer.
Shrewsbury town centre and Much Wenlock will have new Safer Neighbourhood Team bases.
Reducing the number of police buildings is expected to save around £1.5 million per year and will allow the force to retain more police and community support officers.
Mr Longmore said: “I understand the closure of local police buildings is an emotive issue for many communities. The important thing is that every community in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, Herefordshire and Worcestershire continues to have a good policing presence.
“People’s views, as well as views from partners, have been vital in determining the deployment bases and community buildings the force will use in future. And as a result there have been a few changes to the original proposals, including more community bases.
“The consultation also opened up a range of opportunities to work together or share office space with our many partners and the force is currently exploring these in more detail.”
David Shaw, Chief Constable of West Mercia Police, said:
“Investment in mobile technology and mobile police stations and changes to the way officers will be deployed means that officers will spend less time in the office and more time out on patrol.
“The underlying ethos of our approach has been, where possible, to invest in people not buildings.
“As a force we have made the conscious decision to move the base of some safer neighbourhood teams away from a “traditional” police station and relocate the base in a community building.
“The consultation has identified the need for some more community bases but has also confirmed the thoroughness of the thinking underpinning the original proposals announced in February.”
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