PCC newsletter – October 2022

This month’s edition includes stories on the launch of ‘Pin your poppy’, how I’m helping to tackle burglary in West Mercia and the fight against male violence on women and girls.

Keep reading to find out more…

In the lead up to Remembrance Day, I have launched an exciting ‘Pin your poppy’ project to honour servicemen and women – past and present.

The project celebrates the connection between the armed forces and police by asking community groups, residents and businesses to come together by creating and pinning poppies onto Unknown Tommy statues by Thursday 10 November.

The statues, created by The British Ironwork Centre, are located all across West Mercia outside police stations at Malinsgate, Kidderminster, Malvern, Hereford, Shrewsbury and West Mercia Police’s Headquarters at Hindlip.

Earlier this month, I appeared on BBC Hereford and Worcester to talk about the spike in burglaries in South Worcestershire.

I want to reassure you that I will continue to champion measures that ensure burglary continues to fall across West Mercia and public satisfaction continues to rise.

Burglary can have a devastating impact and it’s right that you get the best service in your time of need. Before the national announcement, I had already secured commitments from the force to attend all burglaries.

Through my ‘We Don’t Buy Crime’ scheme there has been the rollout of more than 60,000 SmartWater kits to help deter criminals and protect properties.

Visibility and accessibility of police officers in communities is also increasing with officer numbers set to reach their highest level in more than a decade.

You can listen to the full interview by clicking the button below and selecting 1.38.

More must be done to tackle violence against women and girls.

There is sadly a problem in society where a minority of men are violent towards woman and girls, this accounts for one in five offences in West Mercia.

Over the past year, I have funded more than 10,000 personal safety alarms. An additional 3,000 free alarms are set to be distributed across the three counties.

The latest results on the public perception survey are in with 81% of respondents saying they have confidence in West Mercia Police.

It is good to see a majority of people can trust and rely on the police when they need them. However, there is still a way to go, I want everyone in our communities to not only be safe but to feel safe.

Visibility is an area of focus I know matters greatly when I’m speaking to people across West Mercia. I am holding the force to account on this, and I am reassured improvements are being made. This is made possible by a set of commitments laid out in the Community Charter plus a recruitment drive to increase police officer numbers to the highest level in more than a decade.

Following my investment of £54,000, ‘I am me’ training sessions took place last week as part of Hate Crime Awareness Week.

The week encourages local authorities, key partners, and communities affected by hate crime to work together to tackle it in their local area.

To improve their understanding of hate crime and where to signpost support victims the sessions were delivered to schools, the police, safeguarding partners, local authorities, community safety partnerships, community groups and those in the private sector such as leisure and hospitality.

Thank you to everyone who completed my estates consultation.

The draft strategy sets out proposed plans for police buildings over the coming years to provide a local and accessible police service for communities across West Mercia.

As the voice of the public in policing, I will continue to have conversations with West Mercia Police about their requirements and use all the feedback gathered through this consultation to shape the final estates strategy.

I am currently looking to recruit volunteers to work as Independent Custody Visitors in Shropshire and Kidderminster.

These brilliant volunteers take time out of their day to make sure people in custody are being looked after, they are getting the legal support they need, and the cells are safe and hygienic.

Interested in joining the team? Find out more by visiting my website.

Visit the Neighbourhood Matters website to find out who is in your local Safer Neighbourhood Team.

Simply enter your postcode in the box below the sign up form on the homepage.

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