MP quizzes police chiefs over Shropshire crime figures
A Shropshire MP has asked senior police figures for reassurance over their crime statistics.
Philip Dunne, MP for Ludlow, said he had been concerned to read a report from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabularies on under-reporting of crime statistics in some police forces.
He said he had written to David Shaw, the chief constable of West Mercia Police, and Bill Longmore, the Police and Crime Commissioner, although West Mercia was not one of the 13 forces to have been reviewed by HMIC.
"It is worth noting West Mercia was not one of the 13 forces that have been reviewed by HMIC so far," he said. "But I have written to both the Chief Constable and PCC to ask for reassurance on the credibility of crime statistics within the force.
"Only last week West Mercia published its crime statistics, which showed an encouraging decline in almost all categories of serious crime in South Shropshire.
"I publicly welcomed them but it is vitally important the public retains confidence in the information put out by the police regarding their efforts to keep local communities safe."
West Mercia Police was unavailable for comment.
Mr Dunne last week welcomed a fall in crime across south Shropshire and Bridgnorth over the last 12 months.
Burglary was reportedly down by 30 per cent in the Bridgnorth area and 42 per cent in South Shropshire, drug offences were down 17 per cent and 48 per cent, and total crime, from 2012 to 2013, was also down 11.8 per cent and 12.4 per cent, respectively.
