PCC John Campion has strengthened his commitment to building a safer West Mercia as crime figures have been released today.
The figures released from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that recorded crime in West Mercia did not change in 2019/20 and that nationally there was a 1% increase. The figures show that West Mercia is broadly in-line with the rest of England and Wales.
Residential burglary and business and community burglary have seen significant reduction this year with a 16% and 3% respectively. The current figures build on an ongoing downward trend in burglary figures over the last four years, with there being a 60% reduction since 2016. Initiatives like We Don’t Buy Crime, and SmartWater, part-funded by the PCC, have had a positive impact on crime prevention.
West Mercia has seen an increase in violent crime, with violence against the person and violence without injury increasing by 7% and 9% respectively.
The PCC has shown his commitment to tacking violent crimes, which are often connected to the larger issue of serious organised crime, with resources being directed to focusing on county lines and vulnerability. The PCC has also commissioned a number of preventative and diversionary projects with young being people supported and diverted away from criminality.
John Campion said, “I am committed to building a safe and secure West Mercia. It is encouraging to see that reports of residential burglary have fallen significantly; initiatives I have funded, such as We Don’t Buy Crime, and the increased uptake of SmartWater across the region may have positively impacted on the reduction. But, it is vital that we continue to build on this positive trend by directing resources into acquisitive crime prevention.”
‘It is clear that there is work to do to tackle violent crime in West Mercia. These crimes are often connected with the illicit drug trade and serious organised crime. I have been committed to funding initiatives that divert young people away from criminality and criminal exploitation by gangs that seek to recruit them, and tackling the root causes of criminality.”
“I am reassured that West Mercia Police is committed to tackling violent crime, and I will continue to ensure they have the resources to keep our communities safe and secure.”
Published Friday 17th July 2020
