A REVIEW of policing in Bradford, including doubling the number of dedicated 'problem-solving police constables', will go before councillors next week.

The Bradford District Police Senior Leadership Team has held a review of its structure to "improve its effectiveness and efficiency in times of increased challenge and austerity".

Under the previous policing model in the district, the Partnership Ward Areas (PWA) were aligned with the five parliamentary constituencies each with an inspector, apart from Bradford West, where the City Centre Urban Regeneration area was separate and allocated its own Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT).

The model of inspector-led teams will be retained but under the new plans, there will be 25 police ward officers in the five constituencies. There will be six each in the Bradford West, East and South area, three in Shipley and four in Keighley.

The 25 police constables covering the city centre will be given enhanced training in problem solving to equip them to tackle the challenges in the city centre.

The police ward officers will be supported by 47 dedicated police community support officers (PSCO) problem solvers.

These officers will be kept from routine policing tasks which will leave them to concentrate on tackling issues and concerns for their neighbourhoods.

These PCSO problem solvers will be be distributed with ten each in the Bradford West, South and East constituencies, two in Bradford's city area, seven in Keighley and eight in Shipley.

The key responsibilities of the Police Ward Officers and PCSO problem solvers will include reducing calls for service including addressing victim's need, to work with partners to reduce the threat and harm posed to communities, to tackle anti-social behaviour, to safeguard individuals by engaging in with support groups and to use problem solving approaches within Neighbourhood Policing.

It forms part of West Yorkshire Police's review of its budgets, structures and operating models used for policing.

Police ward officers will be supported by the neighbourhood support hub at Jacob's Well in Bradford.

The ward officers will also work alongside Bradford Council's area co-ordinator, council ward officers and council wardens.

A report on the policing changes, to be discussed at area committees, states: "The new model will strengthen collaborative working at a ward level using existing structures and partnerships.

"During the review, it has been recognised that the dedicated problem-solving approach has been extremely effective in reducing demand and tackling local concerns.

"As a result of this success, the new model will double the number of dedicated problem-solving police constables. The problem-solving constables will become police ward officers."

The plans will be discussed for the first time at Bradford East’s Area Committee on Thursday, November 19.