Extra money will see Leamington police station open seven days a week as part of Warwickshire Police’s 'new model of policing’

Police stations open seven days a week and more officers in the community are just some of the plans Warwickshire Police wants to implement as part of its 'new model of policing'.

Police numbers and resources have faced severe cuts over the past decade and Warwickshire has been no exception. Community leaders expressed - and continue to express - their concerns about the lack of local policing and cuts to departments.

But the force has recently recruited more staff and says it now has the largest number of officers in its more-than-160-year history.

A target was set for Warwickshire Police to recruit more officers by March and they have now exceeding this by ten per cent, following additional funding from the local Council Tax police precept.

At the end of March, there were 1,113 officers in force, up from around 800 in 2016.

In light of this, Warwickshire Police is planning to bring in what it says is a new model of policing.

But what will that mean in terms of services? Here is a look at what changes will be made:

New geographical areas:

The new operating model will introduce three geographical command centres in the North, South and East of the county.

Officers working in the areas:

Each area will have a Chief Inspector, supported by a team of Inspectors overseeing a range of local policing teams.

Each area will also have a Patrol Investigations Unit, with responsibility for investigating many of the crimes that do not meet the threshold for CID investigation. The new teams will be separate from patrol and they will investigate offences such as assaults, burglaries and "medium risk domestic abuse".

Police stations:

Police stations in Leamington, Nuneaton, Rugby and Stratford-Upon-Avon will be open seven days a week. They will now deal with in-person enquiries and telephone investigations, as well as providing front-counter services.

Behind the scenes:

There will be a new "Prevention Hub" with a focus on stopping crime before it happens.

The force is investing in its intelligence hub and creating new teams of specialist detectives focused on domestic abuse, rape and serious sexual offences, human trafficking, online child sexual exploitation and digital media.

The force is also investing in offender management and increasing the number of trained officers in the Registered Sex Offender Manager Unit.

Warwickshire Police are also investing in new mobile cameras and additional road safety schemes.

What Warwickshire Police say about it:

Chief Constable Debbie Tedds said: “Our new officers come with a variety of backgrounds, cultures, and in some cases, previous professional experience, as we continue to build a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. They are an absolutely vital addition to the force, bringing new insight, experience and expertise.

“Building trust and confidence with our local communities is one of our key priorities. Warwickshire Police is here to protect people from harm, preventing crime, ensuring we are accessible and visible to our communities and provide high quality investigations. These organisational changes enable us to protect communities in an informed, robust and sustainable way.

"We are committed to providing consistent, high-quality local policing services and we want our communities and workforce to have trust and confidence in what we do.”