West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner, John Campion, is encouraging communities to be aware of those who may be more vulnerable and fall victim to criminal gangs during Covid-19.
Serious and organised crime is planned and committed by groups of people. The term covers a range of crime types including cyber-crime and fraud, drugs, modern slavery and human trafficking, as well as child sexual exploitation and abuse.
It is often the most vulnerable in our community that are at risk of being targeted, with the gangs taking advantage of the fear and uncertainty of the current pandemic.
Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: “At the heart of my commitment as Commissioner has always been to protect the most vulnerable. The criminal gangs work to exploit vulnerabilities which, because of Covid-19, will sadly be more prominent. The effects of this are devastating and far reaching, impacting not only the victim but also entire communities. It is so important that, despite changes to our daily lives, we remain vigilant and ensure those that are vulnerable in the community are supported.
“Across West Mercia I continue to invest in projects and initiatives that aim to discourage these activities, and there are a number of funded services that provide support to victims of crime. Anyone that suspects criminal activity within their community should report it to West Mercia Police.”
Report crime to West Mercia Police online or call 101 at any time to report an incident, or 999 in an emergency. For the deaf or hard of hearing, use the text-phone service on 18001 101.
Suspected instances of scam texts can be sent directly to “7726” and email fraud can be sent to [email protected] or reported via the Action Fraud website https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
To report a suspicion or seek advice you can contact the Modern Slavery Helpline confidentially on 08000 121 700. This is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Victims of crime can contact the Victim Advice Line:
- Call 0800 952 3000- you will get through to a care coordinator who will discuss with you what you need
- Email [email protected] and a care coordinators will respond to you.
Online chat – this option, which can be found on this website: https://victimadviceline.org.uk/, allows you to talk to one of our care coordinators if it’s not possible, or convenient, to talk on the phone
Issued on: Wednesday 22nd April
