Following the statement by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary that
smaller police forces should be merged to enable them to carry out their
work better, Michael Fabricant is asking the Home Secretary for
reassurances that Staffordshire will not be swallowed up into the West
Midlands Force. "Although some doubts have been expressed recently into
Staffordshire Police’s resources particularly in connection with local
policing and the handling of the Darley Oaks Guinea Pig Farm incidents,
I am not convinced yet that a merger with another force is necessary"
says Michael Fabricant.

"However, if it is felt by both the Home Office and the police that a
better service to the public could be provided by pooling resources, I
would not oppose a merger in principle. But any such merger should be
with adjoining forces of a similar size such as the Cheshire or
Warwickshire constabularies. I would oppose any merger into the West
Midlands force which is huge by comparison and is centred on policing in
Birmingham and the Black Country. This calls for very different types
of policing than that which we need in predominantly rural counties like
Staffordshire. Our local police would just be ‘swallowed up’ by the
West Midlands force and make the service more remote" Michael adds. Mr
Fabricant will also be contacting Staffordshire’s Chief Constable, John
Giffard, to seek his views on a possible merger.