This move has been unanimously opposed by our local communities, by our Chief Constable and by West Mercia Police Authority, which last week launched a judicial review of the Home Secretary's decision.
I have joined the Police Parliamentary Scheme and currently am spending time with units across the force. Police officers of all ranks are telling me they fear resources will be sucked from our rural areas into urban crime hotspots.
Senior police officers have also warned that if the Government does not fund the cost of any reorganisation there could be a huge increase in Council Tax precept or up to 25,000 full-time police officers cut nationwide to pay for it. This could lead to 70 fewer officers in Shropshire alone.
The Home Office is a department under pressure, its budget has been frozen and the new Home Secretary himself described parts as "not fit for purpose". Now is not the time to throw the police into an unwanted, costly, rushed reorganisation.
I have joined other MPs in calling for a local referendum before implementing any merger. Next week I am meeting the new Minister for Police to try to persuade him to leave West Mercia as a strategic force on its own.
The police have enough to do fighting the current wave of violent and knife crime. They should not be distracted from this priority into doing battle with bureaucrats.
