PCC John Campion is giving West Mercia scheme a further £235k to focus on making roads safer by understanding the root causes of dangerous driver behaviour.
As part of the PCC’s commitment to making communities and roads safer, in September 2019 he supported the launch of #MORSE, which is delivered in partnership by West Mercia Police, Worcester-based charity YSS, Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, and the Warwickshire & West Mercia Community Rehabilitation Company (WMCRC).
Through tailored support, that works to address the root causes of dangerous driving, individuals are given the help they need to minimise the likelihood of repeat offending. Many service users have suffered with personal issues, such as alcohol and drug addiction, which leads to them committing offences. Through the work #MORSE does, in the form of one-to-one intensive support and short specialised interventions, it aims to reduce the number of victims on the roads and make communities safer. To date, the project has supported over 500 individuals.
The project will be receiving a further £235k to deliver support such as that given to an individual who was referred to MORSE for drug driving offences. Through the support this individual received he was referred to: mental health services, his GP to address serious health concerns, and drug treatment services which has led to him maintaining abstinence for over a year.
Service user: “I am not proud of the mistakes I have made in the past, I know that the changes I have made will help prevent me from making them again. I want to be safer on the road, I want to get my licence back, get a job when my health allows it and be a better person.”
PCC John Campion said: “I am committed to ensuring our roads are safe and the appropriate initiatives and measures are in place to prevent harm being caused. MORSE continues to have a positive impact by working, and supporting, those that have committed road offences. Getting to the root cause of why someone has committed an offence can lead to the reduction in not only further offences from happening, but reduce the impact on other services and ensure the individual gets the support they need.”
YSS Operations Director, David Andrewartha said: “We are delighted to have received continuation funding for our MORSE service. We are very passionate about the work that we do which aims to reduce the number of road traffic offences being committed on our roads. We hope this reduces the number of victims and makes the roads across West Mercia a safer place to drive. We are proud of the partnership we have developed with the West Mercia Police, the Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service and the Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service and working together we will achieve positive outcomes.”
