West Mercia Police launched a promotion of its Ride Along Scheme for Telford residents on February 11, 2026. The initiative allows members of the public to accompany officers on shift to observe neighbourhood policing and to see how officers use powers such as stop and search.
The force says the aim is to show the public the daily realities of frontline policing and build trust with local communities. The promotion is presented by the force as part of a wider community‑oriented policing focus under Chief Constable Richard Cooper.
People who want to take part must apply via the West Mercia Police website. Applicants must be aged over 18, will undergo basic vetting/background checks, and — if successful — must sign a confidentiality/privacy agreement and attend a safety briefing before joining a shift.
Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion has said, in public remarks, that “policing comes back to the Peelian principle of ‘the police are the public and the public are the police.’” The promotion comes as the force implements a 2026 budget ‘rebalancing’ to move resources towards frontline teams — a change the PCC has linked to wider workforce adjustments that have, according to local reporting, included plans to remove 17 current officer posts.
For details and to apply, the force’s Ride Along application page is available on the West Mercia Police website.
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