THE number of police officers in West Mercia has gone down for the first time in a decade.

Police chiefs blame a lack of government funding for the reduction and say the force is still set up to keep residents safe.

A report going before the West Mercia Police and Crime Panel shows the number of police officers across the force area dropped from 2,518 in 2025/26 to 2,500 in 2026/27.

The number of officers had previously risen steadily since 2017/18, when it stood at 1,940.

Police and crime commissioner John Campion said several officer posts had been removed as part of a ‘re-balancing’ of resources.

He said he had ‘no option’ but to raise the police authority’s council tax precept by 5.2 per cent because Home Office funding would have represented a ‘real terms decrease’ for the force.

“It is likely that further pressures will be felt in future years. Whilst locally we can play our part, the Government needs to recognise that central funding must keep up with the demand facing policing, rather than leaving taxpayers to cover the gap every year,” said the commissioner.

“Despite the financial challenges, I will support the chief constable to ensure resources are focused on providing the level of service the public would expect, whilst boosting neighbourhood policing.

“I remain committed to ensuring that the communities of West Mercia are kept safe and their police force is set up to deliver that.”

Mr Campion said previously that officers in roles better suited to the skillset of police staff would be moved to frontline teams – resulting in an 11 percent increase in neighbourhood policing.

In his annual report, Mr Campion said: “Over the past year, policing has continued to operate within a challenging national landscape.

“Changes in government priorities and ongoing financial pressures have required careful planning and difficult decisions.”