It is one year since PCC John Campion was re-elected as West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner.
The year has been nonstop for PCC John Campion. Since 10 May 2021, he has recruited the new West Mercia Chief Constable Pippa Mills, to lead the force and deliver improvements in policing for the community.
He has invested to improve water safety education right across West Mercia, as part of the ongoing Home and Dry campaign, to reduce water deaths. He has continued to drive the Home and Dry campaign, with fantastic support from a network of more than 20 organisations. This further investment aims to ensure the campaign will continue to progress and evolve creating a safer environment for all.
West Mercia Police was deemed more diverse than ever before in August with
3% of officers coming from ethnic minority backgrounds, and 34% being female. PCC John Campion continues his commitment to ensure the public has a diverse police force that is reflective of the communities served. He also acknowledges there is a way to go but is pleased that progress is being made.
In October he held the force to account regarding their response to 999 and 101 calls, 88% of emergency 999 calls were answered within 10 seconds, but PCC John Campion deemed this could be improved to provide a better more consistent response for the communities in their time of need.
At the end of the year, PCC John Campion had welcomed two new roles to his team; Assistant PCCs to further reflect the voice of the communities across West Mercia. The Commissioner hopes they will play a key role in building diverse relationships with the community. He brought in the New Year by committing to 125 new police officers and £1 million to prevent crime to ensure West Mercia’s communities are safe and feel safe with his latest budget for 22/23.
In February, PCC John Campion made an investment of £60,000 to West Mercia Search and Rescue (WMSAR) and £18,000 to Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) to continue their work in supporting West Mercia Police in their search efforts. He has also invested £100,000 to tackle illegal fly tipping that blights the communities of West Mercia. This investment includes tyre marking and working with local authorities to reduce fly-tipping that can lead to and encourage further anti-social behaviour.
Most recently he fronted a campaign encouraging women and girls to speak up about their views, experiences and feelings on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), reaching thousands of people across the counties. Engaging with men and boys to educate and encouraging a societal change towards VAWG. PCC John Campion also funded 10,000 personal safety alarms and committed 1 million pounds to tackle VAWG across Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin.
PCC John Campion said “I am extremely proud of the achievements made in my role as Police and Crime Commissioner since my re-election in May 2021. I vowed to put victims and survivors first, build a more secure West Mercia, reform West Mercia and reassure the communities of West Mercia, which are at the heart of what I do every day.
“As I reflect over the last year, I continue to work for the communities, whether that be holding the force to account, seeking views from the public through consultations, commissioning work to support victims and survivors or committing more officers to serve the community, overall ensuring the public get the service they deserve. I am just as dedicated today in hearing the communities voice and shaping policing as I was when first elected in 2016.”
