Police and crime commissioner for West Mercia John Campion has received approval from the police and crime panel to boost community policing efforts with additional resources.

The budget proposal for 2023/24 includes an allocation of £14.3m towards policing, aimed at meeting the priorities of local communities.

The budget will fund the recruitment of 40 new police officers, taking West Mercia’s police numbers to an all-time high and enabling the formation of a 55-officer community crime fighting teams.

Additionally, resources will be directed towards tackling the root causes of crime and harm in communities through the funding of 10 Community Safety Engagement Officers, £2m for local crime reduction projects in partnership with local councils, and £250k for road safety improvement.

The budget also aims to improve the justice system by bringing more offenders to justice, preventing crime, and improving the experience of victims through the use of technology.

Despite the increase in resources, the high demand for policing and inflationary pressures have resulted in a £10.8m budget deficit for next year, which the force is working to address.

At a recent meeting, the Police and Crime Panel confirmed that the council tax precept will rise by 5.94 per cent or 29p per week, meaning an average band D household will pay £246.50 annually, which is the fourth-lowest increase among police and crime commissioners since 2016.

Police and crime commissioner John Campion said: “As your voice in policing, I have listened and shaped West Mercia Police’s budget and other crime prevention funding around your priorities.

“I am extremely proud that, despite the financial challenges we are facing, police officer numbers will reach an establishment level high in West Mercia.

“It has been a hard decision to increase the council tax precept, but I am committed to ensuring every penny is spent wisely and you the community feel the maximum benefit of that investment as your police force continues to deliver on the matters that mean the most to you.”

Chief Constable Pippa Mills said: “We will always strive to deliver the best service we can with the budget available to us. The investment announced today will support us as we continue to focus resources in the areas that have the most positive impact on communities.

“Just as the force is not immune to the country’s financial pressures, I know homes are feeling it too, so I understand the public will, quite rightly, want to see how their money is spent. Difficult decisions will have to be made this year, but we know that visibility of officers is important, and I’m pleased that this year we will have more police officers than we have had in recorded West Mercia Police history, and we are investing more in neighbourhood policing.”