Warwickshire Police’s plan to replace more than 80 police staff with officers will undermine the service provided to the public and isn’t value for money, says UNISON. The union’s West Midlands regional organiser Charlie Sarell and branch secretary Paul Edwards recently met with Chief Constable Martin Jelley to discuss alternatives to the redundancies.
However, few of the union's suggestions have been adopted, says UNISON, which is continuing working with the force to avoid the job losses. The police staff the force plans to replace have more than 50 years’ combined experience in dealing with sensitive cases, such as those involving domestic violence. Many are qualified to degree level in relevant subjects such as criminology and youth justice, according to UNISON.
The union says Warwickshire Police’s plan will not mean more police out patrolling the streets. Instead, these additional officers* will be doing the same jobs previously carried out by police staff. UNISON is urging local MPs and Warwickshire police and crime commissioner Philip Seccombe to back its call for the force to receive extra funding.
UNISON West Midlands regional organiser Charlie Sarell said: “These proposed redundancies will damage the service provided to the public. The wealth of experience these police staff bring to their jobs will be lost. The move also won’t result in more officers out on the streets of Warwickshire.
“UNISON will continue to campaign on behalf of police staff and the public to stop these redundancies going ahead.”
