His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has published its findings from a PEEL (Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy) Inspection of West Mercia Police.
The report follows an inspection of the force in 2024 and identifies areas of good work and progress on challenges, whilst also highlighting where further improvement is needed.
The report’s gradings found West Mercia Police to be ‘good’ in one area, ‘adequate’ in four and ‘requiring improvement’ in four.
Chief Constable Richard Cooper said: “We recognise the importance of independent assessments like PEEL and are using this report as one tool to guide our next steps and drive continued improvement for the communities we serve, and for our officers, staff and volunteers. We acknowledge the findings and are already acting on them.
“The inspection highlights both the progress we’ve made and the challenges we are addressing head-on. The results are not where we want to be, and I am clear that they must and will improve. As set out in the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Safer Communities Plan, we remain focused on the issues that matter most to our communities, which is providing a service that is responsive, fair and trusted.”
Alongside our good rating for crime recording, the report recognises some of the excellent work happening in the force and meaningful progress in several key areas. It highlights that our neighbourhood policing teams are well resourced and are actively engaging with communities to resolve local issues, investigative standards have improved, and that our hot spot patrols have reduced serious crime by 18%.
The force’s dedicated online child exploitation team (OCSET) was praised for its effective use of civil orders and strong partnership working to protect children, as was the processes in place for external scrutiny of the use of our stop and search powers.
Call handling has also seen significant improvement, particularly in identifying vulnerable callers. While the report noted that 999 response times needed attention, focused efforts have already delivered results — with 92% of emergency calls answered within 10 seconds from January to April, exceeding the national target.
The report outlines areas where we must do better, such as how we identify vulnerable victims and challenges faced with our IT systems, which have required significant modernisation.
“The counties we serve — Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Worcestershire — remain safe places to live” added Chief Constable Cooper, “and I’m pleased the report reflects some of the good work already underway, there is much to be proud of. But this report does not reflect the consistently superb service that I and all my colleagues want to provide. We know where there are further improvements to be made beyond those we’ve already achieved and, together with the PCC, we are determined to make those changes.”
Commenting on the findings, Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: “I know the public have high expectations, so it’s important we use the findings as a platform to drive further change.
“Together, with the new Chief Constable, action is already taking place to address concerns and it’s my expectation that this progress continues at pace.
“West Mercia Police is full of hardworking police officers and staff who are on the thin blue line keeping communities safe – it’s on the Chief Constable and I to set them up to succeed.
“I will continue to work with and support the Chief Constable to deliver my Safer Communities Plan, by directing the resources needed to deliver the best possible service to the communities of West Mercia.”
For more information about the PEEL process, and to read the full report, visit: His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services – His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services
