Cumbria's police boss says a big regional force would leave Workington fighting cities for resources Workington and Whitehaven could lose out under police merger plans, commissioner warns

David Allen doesn't want Cumbria Constabulary swallowed up into a giant North West force, and you can tell him what you think in Workington on Tuesday.

If you live in West Cumbria and care about having coppers who know the place, this is worth a read.

David Allen, Cumbria's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, has come out against plans to merge Cumbria Constabulary into a much bigger regional force. Greatest Hits Radio says the Government started a review earlier this year into cutting the number of forces in England and Wales right down.

On Friday 6 November, after a big meeting of national police chiefs in Manchester, the commissioners for Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside and North Wales put out a joint statement against a handful of regional "mega-forces". They called mergers "costly, complex and disruptive" and said: "Every pound spent on reorganisation is a pound not spent keeping people safe."

Mr Allen told Cumbria Crack: "I do not want decisions about policing in Workington, Whitehaven, Carlisle, Barrow, Kendal, Penrith or our rural villages and towns being made hundreds of miles away, with our communities competing against major cities for resources." He's fine with forces sharing things like technology, buying and tackling serious organised crime nationally, just not with carving up local forces. He also pointed out Cumbria gets its first mayor next May.

And he added: "These proposals are not a final decision."

Want to tell him what you think, about this or anything else with the police or fire service? He's holding a surgery in the Youth Room at the Oval Centre, Salterbeck Road, Workington, on Tuesday 10 November from half three till five. It's on the news page of the Cumbria Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner's website. We covered the extra community beat officers for Workington, Maryport, Whitehaven and Egremont recently too.

David Allen and the other North West commissioners have come out against plans to fold local forces into a few regional 'mega-forces'. He is holding a public surgery in Workington on Tuesday.

This matters to anyone in West Cumbria who relies on local policing, from town-centre patrols to rural call-outs.

Cumbria's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, has spoken out against proposals to merge Cumbria Constabulary into a much larger regional force. The Government launched a review earlier this year looking at sharply reducing the number of forces in England and Wales, according to Greatest Hits Radio.

On Friday 6 November, after a meeting of national police chiefs in Manchester, the commissioners for Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside and North Wales issued a joint statement opposing a small number of regional "mega-forces". They said mergers would be "costly, complex and disruptive" and that "Every pound spent on reorganisation is a pound not spent keeping people safe."

In comments reported by Cumbria Crack, Mr Allen said: "I do not want decisions about policing in Workington, Whitehaven, Carlisle, Barrow, Kendal, Penrith or our rural villages and towns being made hundreds of miles away, with our communities competing against major cities for resources." He said he supports national work on technology, buying and serious organised crime, but not breaking up local forces, and pointed out that Cumbria elects its first mayor next May.

He also said: "These proposals are not a final decision."

People who want to raise this, or any other policing or fire concern, can meet Mr Allen at his public surgery in the Youth Room at the Oval Centre, Salterbeck Road, Workington, on Tuesday 10 November from 3.30pm to 5pm. Details are on the news page of the Cumbria Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner's website. Marra News recently reported on extra community beat officers for Workington, Maryport, Whitehaven and Egremont.