William Morgan Longmore, more publicly known as Bill Longmore was the IndependentWest Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner. He was the first person to hold the post and was elected on 15 November 2012. A former police officer with Staffordshire Police, Longmore was a businessman prior to his election. He attracted controversy shortly after taking office for appointing his former campaign manager as his Deputy.
Police career and election
Longmore, who was brought up at Amblecote near Stourbridge, was a serving police officer with Staffordshire Police for 30 years from 1957, rising to the position of Superintendent. Following his retirement from the force he enjoyed a second career as a businessman, building up a manufacturing company, buying two factories and converting them to timber mills. In 2011 Longmore won the BBC Midlands Sports Unsung Hero Award – an award recognising those involved in community sports projects, and which was presented to him for his work towards improving sports facilities in the village of Hanwood, Shropshire, where he settled after buying a former farmhouse. He was a district councillor in Cannock, Staffordshire, where he lived previously, and a parish councillor in Hanwood. In 2017 he and others formed the Great HanwoodCommunity Interest Company which purchased the then-closed Cock Inn at Hanwood with the aim of reopening it for public community use. Longmore ran as an independent Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia Police in the first elections for the post in November 2012, and was subsequently elected to the position. During his campaign he said that his intention was to serve a single term in office.
Police and Crime Commissioner
Reduction of policing costs
His role as Police and Crime Commissioner officially commenced on 22 November 2012. One of his first acts in the role was to give his backing to an alliance with the neighbouring Warwickshire Police Force enabling them to pool services and make budgetary savings of £30.3million. A draft report published in January 2013 and titled the Police and Crime Plan indicated that as part of the savings the two police forces would collectively lose 200 frontline police officers by 2016, as well as 450 civilian posts, with West Mercia bearing the lion's share of the losses.
Controversy over appointment
He attracted controversy in December 2012 after appointing his former campaign manager, Barrie Sheldon to the post of Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, despite advice to the contrary from Worcestershire County Council's Police and Crime Commission Panel, which felt there should be more competition for the position. Longmore and Sheldon had both served as officers with Staffordshire Police, but had not known each other until the 2012 election campaign. Longmore's decision, which he described as "absolutely necessary" led to allegations of cronyism, and prompted the Council's Labour group to call for his resignation, with a threat to put forward a motion of no confidence against him at a Council meeting on 17 January 2013. The motion was subsequently rejected by a majority of 49–4. In response Longmore said that he had given Sheldon the job on the merit of his experience as a former police officer and university lecturer rather than through any favouritism. Following the rejection of the no confidence vote Longmore said that he would put forward a proposal that future PCC candidates name the person they intend to select as their deputy as part of their campaign for office. He fulfilled his election pledge to retire at the PCC elections which took place on 5 May 2016. His deputy Barrie Sheldon stood as Independent candidate but lost to Conservative candidate John Campion.
Death
While serving as Police and Crime Commissioner, Longmore was diagnosed with lung cancer, for which he received chemotherapy. He died at his home on Thursday 17 May 2018 aged 79. His funeral took place at Shrewsbury Crematorium on Saturday 9 June, with a thanksgiving service at Shrewsbury Abbey Church the same day.
