Policing will change but we remain committed to tackling what matters to local people, says Chief Constable
Wednesday, 20 October, 2010
POLICING in the West Midlands will change as a result of the government's spending review - but the force remains committed to tackling those issues that matter most to local people, according to Chief Constable Chris Sims.
He said that over the last 18 months West Midlands Police had been busy planning ahead and reshaping the way policing will be delivered across a range of functions, with the focus on ensuring service delivery remains a priority.
"We have learned from today's spending review about the future funding for the police service in general but we will not know the details about how this is likely to impact on West Midland Police until early December.
"However, it does give us an idea about the sort of challenges we are facing. There is absolutely no doubt this is going to mean that the force employs fewer staff.
"But I remain absolutely confident that we will continue to protect and serve people in the West Midlands in the way they expect.
"It is going to mean that we have to change the way that we operate and it's inevitable that, over the next four years, people are going to notice some of these changes.
"But the people of the West Midlands have my absolute assurance that we will be doing this in a way that prioritises the things that matter to them in respect of policing."
