Sarah Murray, Worcester city councillor and Liberal Democrat spokesperson on West Mercia Police and Crime, has criticised the absence of a permanent chief constable for West Mercia Police for over a year and highlighted the safety risks brought about by the delays.
She said: “When will the Police and Crime commissioner finally fulfil one of his key responsibilities and start the process to recruit a permanent chief constable?
“To have no stability at the helm of one of the largest geographic police services for over 12 months is unsustainable.
“This is a disservice to the people of West Mercia and the hardworking officers and staff who continue to serve and protect despite this chaos.”
West Mercia Police, which covers the counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire, has been without a permanent chief constable since Pippa Mills stepped down in October 2023 to become assistant commissioner with the Metropolitan Police.
In December 2023, Met Police commander Kyle Gordon was announced as the new chief constable, however, “unforeseen circumstances” meant that Mr Gordon would not be taking up the role.
This led to the PCC coming under fire for the situation from numerous political parties, including Cllr Richard Udall who called the situation a ‘pantomime’ and Cllr Mel Allcott who called for the PCC position to be scrapped altogether.
Acting chief constable, Alex Murray, is set to leave his role to join the National Crime Agency, which leaves assistant chief constable Richard Cooper to fill the void.
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Cllr Murray, who came third in the 2024 Police and Crime Commissioner election, added: “We need the PCC to provide clear timelines for appointing a permanent chief constable and explain the debacle around commander Gordon’s appointment.
“This ongoing crisis undermines trust in the force and the accountability mechanisms designed to oversee it.”
The Police and Crime Commissioner’s office declined to comment.