West Mercia Police report findings unacceptable, says commissioner
The findings of a report that concluded the region's police force requires improvement are "unacceptable", according to West Mercia's police and crime commissioner.
John Campion's comments came after HM Inspectorate of Constabularies revealed that West Mercia Police "requires improvement", and that its approach to tackling serious and organised crime was "inadequate".
Mr Campion said: “The issues raised by this report are unacceptable, and not what our communities expect. While there has been some progress since the inspection took place, the chief constable shares my view that the force must make these improvements faster.
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“It is clear that more must be done, in order to understand the threats to our communities and provide a consistent, effective service to those that need it. The force must build on the positive examples that were highlighted around the understanding of vulnerability and effective partnership working.”
The report made a number of recommendations for the force around tackling serious and organised crime, protecting vulnerable people and preventing crime and anti-social behaviour.
There were some areas deemed as positive in the report, including a commitment to local policing, a focus on engagement, visibility and collaboration.
Mr Campion said that a formal "holding to account process" is already underway.
He added that he has sought assurances from the force that necessary improvements will be made, and said that he would be continuing to meet personally with the chief constable and asking for written confirmation of progress in a number of areas, with clear timescales and action plans.
