Ross on Wye West Mercia Police Police Local Neighbourhood

Following experience in business, advertising and teaching James joined West Mercia Police in 2002.

His career has been a mix of frontline operational policing interspersed with project work.

Working as a Patrol PC, Sergeant and Inspector with experience in interview teams and Safer Neighbourhoods Policing gave James the necessary experience to support the formation of the innovative alliance between Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police as a Programme Manager for Local Policing. He also project managed West Mercia's early adoption of Body Worn Video.

James has acquired a breadth of operational experience including a period as Inspector in the Control Room covering both Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police, with responsibility for dealing with spontaneous firearms incidents as a Tactical Firearm Commander. Subsequently he qualified as a cadre Tactical firearms commander, and deals with pre-planned deployments including warrants and royal visits.

A period of 12 months in the Staff Office, working for Chief Constable David Shaw and CC Anthony Bangham gave James the opportunity to gain a more strategic oversight of policing, including taking responsibility for the operational delivery of the national Use of Force recording work under the NPCC Conflict Management Portfolio.

James spent a period managing the Wyre Forest Safer Neighbourhood Team in North Worcestershire where he gained experience of managing SNTs. However, when the opportunity to support his own local area, by taking responsibility for the Herefordshire Rural Safer Neighbourhoods Team, James was keen to take this on and commenced the role in November 2017.

I took over this post in the Summer of 2015 and am excited about policing this part of West Mercia. I have previously worked in neighbourhood teams in Telford and at Force Headquarters. I look forward to meeting you.

My mobile number is 07791 665731

Kirsten Bowkett has worked as a PCSO for 9 years. She has been covering Ross on Wye for 4 years and was previously based in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.

PCSO Austin has worked in Ross on Wye for 8 years. She initially covered Ross on Wye Town and moved on to cover the rural areas in 2009.

Simon started his career with West Mercia Police in 2009 as a Police Community Support Officer and has come from Gloucestershire Police where he spent five years as a Special Constable giving him extensive experience of neighbourhood policing. Simon currently works on the Evesham Town North Safer Neighbourhood Team and has also worked on Evesham Rural West covering a large rural area. Please feel free to stop and speak to him in the street if you have any queries or concerns.