Satisfaction levels of policing in Herefordshire have dropped by almost 10% compared to last year, according to the results of the latest perception survey commissioned by Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion.
For the period October to December 2024, in response to the question “how good a job do you think West Mercia Police are doing in your area”, just over five out of 10 (55%) responded either “excellent” or “good”. This compares to 64% for the same period the previous year October to December 2023.
Respondents also feel policing is less visible, with a drop from 16% to 13% of residents saying they saw an officer or PCSO at least once a week.
Anti-social behaviour is seen as less of a problem in the county, with 85% of respondents now saying they feel it is “not much” or “no problem at all”. An increase of 3% on the same period last year.
Overall confidence in policing in Herefordshire is also slightly down compared to the same period last year, dropping 5% from 82% to 77%. This is 3% below the overall confidence in West Mercia Police across the force area.
Other findings include –
- Herefordshire residents feel 2% more likely to be able to contact the police in an emergency (90% to 92%)
- More than half of those surveyed in Herefordshire do not feel informed about what West Mercia Police is doing, with a drop of 1% from 49% to 48%. A similar 1% drop from 50 to 49% can be seen across the force area
- 5% fewer people in Herefordshire think they’d receive a good service from the force compared to the same period the previous year, with a drop of 82% to 77%
- 91% of those surveyed in Herefordshire, said they felt safe in the county over the three months October to December 2024
Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: “While it’s good residents feel safe and able to contact West Mercia Police in an emergency, the drop in satisfaction levels is a concern and one I will be meeting with the Chief Constable to address.
“These surveys put the voice of the public at the heart of those performance meetings and help ensure residents and businesses in West Mercia not only get the policing service they deserve but that the force delivers on the priorities that matter to them most.
“I have been clear in my West Mercia Safer Communities Plan that I want to put policing back into the heart of the community, and I am unrelenting in my focus to seeing a greater police presence in town centres and supporting our rural communities.”
