Conservative PCC Brings Firearms Training Back to Staffordshire
Firearms officers are feeling the benefit of a return to their Staffordshire training base after Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis halted moves to join their services with West Midlands Police.
Staffordshire firearms officers had for 12 months made a 70-mile round trip to indoor facilities in Birmingham as part of a previous collaboration programme with West Midlands. The joint approach was abandoned following the findings of a detailed review by Staffordshire Chief Constable Mike Cunningham which was instigated by Mr Ellis.
As a result, firearms officers last month returned to their firing range at Eccleshall, near Stafford, saving them hours in travel time and allowing them to deploy more quickly in Staffordshire when needed. The move also means they can train in realistic outdoor settings and has increased police visibility in rural communities surrounding the site as officers travel to and from it.
Mr Ellis said, “This common sense approach means Staffordshire firearms officers, who play a crucial role in keeping local communities safe, are based and train in Staffordshire. It’s more cost-effective, gives Staffordshire officers more frontline availability and benefits the local business community through investment at the site.
“It’s also part of ongoing work, which is progressing well, to increase the visibility of policing across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. The proposals to develop joint services with the West Midlands were shelved because they were not the right fit and would not have benefited Staffordshire people.
“I’m all for collaboration when it’s about doing what’s right for Staffordshire and not just doing something because it looks like we’re collaborating.”
During yesterdays questions on Business in the House of Commons, Christopher Pincher, MP for Tamworth, spoke on falling unemployment and called for a debate in the House on job fairs, one of which he is organising to take place in Tamworth in October.
Taking the shackles off officers, freeing up their time and releasing them from a numerical target driven culture is the latest radical change announced by Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis.
