West Mercia Police provides policing services to the areas of Herefordshire Shropshire, Telford and the Wrekin and Worcestershire. The police force area covers 2,860 square miles in the west of England. There are areas of deprivation and areas of affluence in West Mercia. Around 1.3 million people live in a predominantly rural setting. It has a number of relatively small urban areas that include the cities of Worcester, Hereford and Telford. The resident population is increased by university students and the large numbers who visit or travel through the area each year.
HMICFRS independently assesses police forces and policing across activity from neighbourhood teams to serious crime and the fight against terrorism – in the public interest.
In preparing our reports, we ask the questions which citizens would ask, and publish the answers in accessible form, using our expertise to interpret the evidence. We provide authoritative information to allow the public to compare the performance of their force against others, and our evidence is used to drive improvements in the service to the public.
Force Area |
2860 square miles | |
Population |
1.24m people | 6% local 10 yr change |
Workforce |
75% frontline | 78% national level |
| 3 per 1000 population | 3.6 national level | |
| 16% change in local workforce since 2010 | 15% national change since 2010 |
Victim-based crimes |
0.05 per person | 0.06 national level |
| Local 5 year trend (no change) | National 5 year trend (no change) |
Cost |
45p per person per day local | 55p per person per day national |
John-Paul Campion
Chief Constable Anthony Bangham, appointed in August 2016
