Delivering a police force that is representative of the diverse communities it serves was the focus of Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion in his latest Assurance & Accountability session with Chief Constable Richard Cooper.
The meeting which looked at West Mercia Police’s culture and values shone a spotlight on the progress that has been made, and the work that needs to take place to ensure all communities can see themselves reflected in West Mercia Police.
Some positive results have been achieved over the past 12 months, with the force reaching record-breaking levels of female police officers and a rise in the number of people from ethnic minority groups joining the force.
However, the Chief Constable acknowledged that more work needs to be done to support under-represented communities to stay within the organisation. Action is also being taken to provide greater guidance and support to women and individuals from ethnic minority groups who are less likely to seek promotion.
A section of the meeting shone a light on the experiences of those with disabilities, both seen and unseen when contacting the force, with the PCC sharing the thoughts of an individual with autism who reported crime to West Mercia Police.
This was an opportunity for the Chief Constable to set out the work taking place to ensure officers are trained and equipped with the appropriate skills and understanding to engage with all communities. Whilst also outlining his expectation that the workforce should feel empowered to report inappropriate behaviour from colleagues if they see it.
Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: “Policing comes back to the Peelian principle of ‘the police are the public and the public are the police.’ That’s why it’s vital that West Mercia Police is representative of the communities it serves.
“Progress is being made, but I am committed to challenging and supporting West Mercia Police to go further and faster to increase representation, deliver a high-quality service, and root out those who fall below the high standards the public rightly expect.”