Cuts - senior officers will be forced to retire

Last month Warwickshire Police Authority authorised the use of Regulation A19 on grounds of efficiency for the force but delegated decisions on its use to Chief Constable Keith Bristow.

The force’s executive board met last week and approved the implementation of the regulation, subject to regular reviews.

Mr Bristow said: “We are going to struggle to achieve all the reductions in the size of our workforce that we need to without using all of the tools available to us, including A19.

“I deeply regret having to make this decision and take personal responsibility for doing so.

“I recognise that this action affects people who have given 30 years of dedicated public service, who have been brave and responded to all the challenges faced by all police officers during their service, only then to be asked to retire.

“Use of A19 is not something we wish to do but we must operate with a smaller workforce, both officers and staff, in the future and I am sorry that we have to take this action.”

The force has consulted Warwickshire Police Federation about the implementation of the regulation.

Once the force is operating within budget and in line with ‘sustainable police officer establishment’ its discontinuation will be recommended.

Simon Payne, the federation’s chairman, said: “This is a very sad day for policing.

“A19 will take away the experience officers have brought to the service and to Warwickshire during their 30 years of dedicated service.

“I am concerned that this will affect large numbers of police officers.

“These will be front line officers, CID, firearms specialists and community beat officers from right across the police who have given a good service to the public.”

About 35 Warwickshire officers will reach 30 years’ service in the next year.

Mr Payne said if A19 is used for the next two or three years it could lead to about 100 officers having to retire.

He added: “A19 is a form of redundancy, let’s not mince our words here.

“Some legal observers would say that its use is discriminatory on the basis of age.”

Budget cuts mean Warwickshire Police must save £23 million over the next four years.

The force has already set out a new policing model, which could cover about £13.4 million of savings, and the possibility of a strategic alliance with West Mercia Police is also being considered.

But up to 450 jobs are at risk and plans have been made to sell parts of the force’s estate including its headquarters in Leek Wootton and police stations in Warwick and Kenilworth.