Warwickshire Police

Warwickshire Police

Logo of the Warwickshire Police
Agency overview
Formed 1840
Employees 1,799[1]
Volunteers 208[1]
Annual budget £80.1 million[1]
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction* Police area of Warwickshire in the country of England, UK
Map of Warwickshire Police's jurisdiction.
Size 762 square miles (1,970 km2)
Population 525,500
Legal jurisdiction England & Wales
Constituting instrument Police Act 1996
General nature
Operational structure
Headquarters Leek Wootton
Constables 805 (of which 300 are special constables)[2]
Police Community Support Officers 133[1]
Police and Crime Commissioner responsible Ron Ball
Agency executive Martin Jelley, Chief Constable[3]
Districts/Boroughs 2 districts and 3 boroughs
Facilities
Stations 15
Website
www.warwickshire.police.uk
Footnotes
* Police area agency: Prescribed geographic area in the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.

Warwickshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Warwickshire in England. It was known as Warwickshire Constabulary until 2001. It is the second smallest territorial police force in England and Wales after the City of London Police, with only 998.6 (full-time equivalents) regular officers as of December 2006.[4] The resident population of the force area is 519,000.

History

The force was established in 1840 as Warwickshire Constabulary. It did not, however, even cover all the rural areas of the county until 1857. Birmingham, Coventry, Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick originally had their own police forces. The Warwickshire force absorbed Warwick Borough Police in 1875 and Stratford-upon-Avon Borough Police in 1889 with Leamington Borough Police lasting until 1946. In 1969, Coventry City Police amalgamated with Warwickshire Constabulary and the force became Warwickshire and Coventry Constabulary. However, with the inclusion of Coventry in the new county of the West Midlands in 1974, Coventry passed to the new West Midlands Police, which also took over the areas of the Birmingham City Police and part of the northwestern area of Warwickshire (around Solihull and Sutton Coldfield). Warwickshire Constabulary reverted to its old name.

Under proposals announced by the then Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, on 6 February 2006, Warwickshire Police would have merged with Staffordshire Police, West Mercia Constabulary and West Midlands Police to form a single strategic force for the West Midlands region.[5] These proposals were subsequently abandoned.

Warwickshire Police was until April 2007 a partner alongside three other forces in the Central Motorway Police Group.

In August 2010, the second Warwickshire Justice Centre was opened in Newbold Terrace, Leamington Spa. As well as a police station, the complex houses the Magistrates' Court, Crown Court, County Court, and other agencies such as the Probation Service and Victim Support.[6] It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 4 March 2011.[7] A similar complex was already in operation in Nuneaton.[8]

Organisation

The force is run by a Chief Constable, a Deputy Chief Constable, two Assistant Chief Constables, and a civilian Director of Finance. Its headquarters are at Woodcote, a 19th-century manor house and estate in the village of Leek Wootton, which has been the force headquarters since 1949. However, in January 2011 it was announced that Warwickshire Police would be selling the police headquarters in Leek Wootton and seven other stations as part of plans to cover funding cuts. The Warwickshire Justice Centre in Leamington Spa will likely be the new headquarters for the force.[9]

The county is divided into Districts/Boroughs (based on local government districts/boroughs), each commanded by a Chief Inspector. There are 33 local policing teams within Warwickshire Police - called Safer Neighbourhood Teams[10] - which are broken down within each District/Borough as follows:

Until recently, the Districts were grouped into two Areas, each commanded by a Chief Superintendent. North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth and Rugby were under Northern Area and Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick were under Southern Area.

The current Chief Constable is Martin Jelley, who was appointed to the role on 7 April 2015 following the retirement of Andy Parker.[3] Parker succeeded Keith Bristow on 1 December 2011. Bristow succeeded John Burbeck, who in turn succeeded Andrew Timpson, who in turn succeeded Peter Joslin.

West Mercia alliance

On 30 September 2013, Warwickshire Police embarked on an alliance with West Mercia Police which saw one of the biggest reorganisations the force ever had. The force is now committed to the alliance which sees the sharing of back office facilities, force systems and support teams whilst retaining its own identity. It is hoped that the alliance will save £20 million.

Police vehicles

In accordance with the national framework for vehicle procurement Warwickshire Police use Ford Focus Estates and Vauxhall Astra 17 CDTI

Among other vehicles BMW X5, 5 and 3 series are used for traffic patrol cars.[15]

A Fiat Panda is being used as a safety camera van.[16]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 17 November 2009. Retrieved 2011-01-28.
  2. ↑ "Tables for 'Police workforce, England and Wales, 31 March 2013". HM Government. Office for National Statistics. 31 March 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Warwickshire Police welcomes new Chief Constable Martin Jelley". Warwickshire Police. 7 April 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  4. ↑ Archived 1 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ "Police mergers outlined by Clarke". BBC News. 6 February 2006. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  6. ↑ "Warwickshire Justice Centre, Leamington Spa". Criminal Justice Board. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  7. ↑ "Queen officially opens RSC theatre and justice centre". BBC News. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  8. ↑ "Warwickshire Justice Centre, Nuneaton". Criminal Justice Board. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  9. ↑ "Warwickshire Police to sell Leek Wootton headquarters". BBC News. 20 January 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  10. ↑ "Safer Neighbourhoods involves police, partners and local people". Warwickshire Police. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  11. ↑ "Henley in Arden Police station to close". Warwickshire Police. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  12. ↑ "Wellesbourne police station to be sold". BBC News. 26 August 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  13. ↑ "Wellesbourne police station closure date". Warwickshire Police. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  14. ↑ "Whitnash police post closed". Warwickshire Police. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  15. ↑ "Warwickshire Police Volvo". Flickr. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  16. ↑ "Safety Camera Vans". Ukemergency.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
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