Focused on improving West Mercia Police’s response to serious and organised crime, Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion held his latest Assurance & Accountability meeting with Temporary Chief Constable Alex Murray on Tuesday 16 July.
Following the HMICFRS review which rated the force’s response as ‘inadequate’, it was acknowledged that West Mercia Police needs to build stronger relationships with partners.
On this topic, the Temporary Chief Constable reassured the PCC about the ongoing work that is taking place to deliver an enhanced joint effort to address SOC, with West Mercia’s Community Safety Partnerships, made up of local authorities, health and probation alongside the police, in the process of refreshing their local plans.
Understanding the importance of preventing crime from happening in the first place, the PCC raised the importance of ensuring Lead Responsible Officers are aware of the range of commissioned preventative services they can access to ensure those at risk of falling into the criminal justice system are diverted onto a different path.
PCC John Campion said: “As the public’s voice in policing, I shared their disappointment at the rating received by West Mercia Police in its response to serious and organised crime.
“I was clear at the time, as I am now, that progress to deliver change will be a focus of regular and intense scrutiny. This latest meeting is just one example of that commitment.
“Whilst it’s clear the situation has moved on significantly since the twelve months following the review and the force is doing great work to investigate and bring offenders to justice, partnership working to stop serious and organised crime from happening in the first place needs to continue to improve.”
