Boris Johnson's police recruitment drive will still leave the West Midlands 900 short on 2010
West Midlands Police will have 900 fewer officers than in 2010 even after Boris Johnson's recruitment drive, chiefs have said.
The Prime Minister is planning to put 20,000 new officers on the streets by 2023 but the West Midlands is still likely to be a long way off its numbers at the start of the decade before big cuts were made, latest projections show.
The Home Office has confirmed the West Midlands will get 366 new officers between now and the end of 2020/21. A new report showed by the end of 2022/23 the force expects to have a total of 1,206 new bobbies. That would still leave the force around 900 short than in 2010.
Mr Johnson has made increasing police numbers one of his key pledges after winning the election.
But West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said the Prime Minister "needs to fulfil his promises" to areas that have been "left behind" since the start of this decade.
Crime has rocketed by 11 per cent across the West Midlands over the last year, with violent crime hitting a record high and Mr Jamieson said the West Midlands was more in need of extra officers than other parts of the country.
Mr Jamieson said: "This paper confirms that West Midlands Police are only expecting to receive 1,200 police officers from the Government’s planned 20,000 increase, compared to the over 2,100 they have lost since 2010. This means that we will be around 900 officers short, unless the government changes course.
"Boris Johnson needs to fulfil his promises to the regions and those left behind by ensuring that areas like leafy, low-crime Surrey don’t receive extra officers at our expense.
In the first year of the recruitment drive Staffordshire Police will get 90 new officers, West Mercia Police 93 and Warwickshire Police will be able to recruit 41.
