Commissioner John Campion met formally with Chief Constable Pippa Mills to seek reassurance around the force’s ongoing work to protect vulnerable people across West Mercia.
The Commissioner has a formal holding to account process on behalf of local communities, focused on delivering his Safer West Mercia Plan, with the latest session focused on a key priority of protecting vulnerable people.
In the holding to account session, held on Monday 4 October, the Commissioner sought reassurance from the Chief Constable regarding efforts by West Mercia Police to ensure that the members of the community who may be vulnerable to becoming a victim of crime are kept safe. The session focused on prevention, the support the victims receive, and the appropriate training that West Mercia staff and officers receive.
One area of focus during the session was rape and serious sexual assault, which is understandably nationally topical point at this time. Reassurance was sought regarding the training of officers and support for victims during the investigation process.
The Commissioner expressed his concerns regarding the number of enhanced victims of sexual offences who were not receiving timely updates as they should be. The Commissioner sought assurance that there are commitments in place to improve this.
The Commissioner’s priority to protect vulnerable people in the community is highlighted within his Safer West Mercia Plan, with a focus on putting victims and survivors first, ensuring an appropriate range of support services are available, and ensuring individuals are dealt with fairly.
PCC John Campion said: “I am committed to ensuring that vulnerable members of our community are at the heart of policing, their protection and security to support them is a key theme across my Safer West Mercia Plan. This is why it is imperative that the force makes the improvements around resources and ensures a greater number of officers and staff are trained to meet increasing demands.
“The Chief Constable provided me with reassurance that some changes internally within West Mercia police will provide greater oversight to deliver improvements and maximise the benefit of the additional resources. I will continue to support and challenge the force to see that it happens, and we are doing all we can to protect and support the most vulnerable in our society.”
