As your voice in local policing, PCC John Campion has created the “What’s been achieved” series to highlight achievements made thanks to his investments, focusing on your priorities.
By understanding your priorities, the PCC is able to set West Mercia Police’s budget as well as using the funding he is given to commission services to meet your needs.
The series will look back on the previous financial year (2022-2023) and look to the future to make sure communities across West Mercia can not only BE safe, but also FEEL safe.
Find out what’s been achieved by viewing the videos below.
Introduction – you said, I did
Topic one: Police officer numbers
The PCC heard loud and clear that communities across West Mercia wanted more visible and accessible policing.
As such, resources were made available to the police to ensure they could recruit a further 125 officers.
The investment of £15.6m ensured West Mercia Police reached the highest number of officers in its history and exceeded the Government’s Uplift target.
The investment has allowed the force to employ individuals that will target the issues that matter to you, like 5 VAWG officers who are focused on pursuing domestic abusers and bringing them to justice to ensure victims receive the support they need to cope and recover.
From this investment, the public are feeling the benefit, with 8 out of 10 residents in West Mercia having confidence in the police over the past 12 months.
Topic two: Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse and sexual violence have no place in our society and yet they continue to adversely affect the lives of many people, for some on a daily basis.
PCC John Campion committed to playing his part to change this societal issue in last year’s budget by committing £2 million to extend the Drive project.
This project is a holistic approach which aims to reduce the number of child and adult victims of domestic abuse by disrupting and changing perpetrator behaviour.
From this funding, West Mercia Women’s Aid has supported 1,391 victims and survivors over 2022/23.
Topic three: Road safety
Although there has been a reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads in West Mercia, the PCC has been committed in his Safer West Mercia Plan to reduce this even further.
Through the last budget, PCC John Campion invested £365,800 to boost the force’s Road Safety Team by a further 11.5 posts.
Additionally, £400,000 has been made available to work with local councils to develop and deliver average speed camera schemes to reduce the potentially life changing impact of speeding.
Measures to tackle inappropriate speeding and driving behaviour received £150,000 of funding to increase mobile enforcement capability, more advanced mobile speed camera equipment and additional revenue to resource this investment.
Topic four: Preventing crime
A leading principle of the PCC John Campion’s Safer West Mercia Plan is to build a more secure West Mercia, and do to this crime must be prevented before harm is caused.
For example, the PCC has funded the SmartWater scheme and has rolled out more than 60,000 kits through the “We Don’t Buy Crime” scheme, to deter criminals and protect properties.
Funding has also been provided to upgrade old CCTV cameras and purchase new ones across West Mercia.
Through the Safer & Stronger Communities Project in Telford, a new, improved and future-proofed CCTV system is nearing completion with more than 400 cameras networked and installed.
There has also been funding provided for organisations working with individuals to intervene to steer them away from crime, or prevent them from committing further offences.
For example, MORSE, an initiative ran across the area by YSS, has the aim of reducing harm caused on our roads from dangerous driving by addressing the root cause of behaviours from offenders.
Topic five: Looking to the future
The PCC regularly speaks to the public and carries out consultations to gather your thoughts and experiences on policing.
As shown, the budget from 2022/23 had many highlights, including:
- Raising police officer number to its highest level in West Mercia to a total of 2,456 officers.
- The PCC has committed £400,000 from his prevention fund to commission services which address the harm caused by drugs.
- The PCC has also invested a further £100,000 to roll out the award winning Steer Clear programme across West Mercia.
But more can always be done.
As the PCC focuses on the 2023/24 budget, the PCC has committed £14.3m in funding to boost local policing, with a further 40 officer being recruited to form Local Crime Fighting Teams to tackle the causes of crime and harm.
The PCC has secured a further £1.2m from the Home Office towards an all-risk perpetrator programme, the first of its kind in West Mercia.
Finally, the PCC has invested £2 million towards local crime reduction projects in partnership with local agencies, including a recent £100,000 investment into an Inclusive Communities Fund with Worcestershire Community Federation.
PCC John Campion is committed to continually listening to his community and supporting West Mercia Police as they work hard to combat crime and protect everyone in the area.
