PODCAST: Eric Smith interviews Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion

Prior to taking on the role, Mr Campion worked for HM Prison Service as a contractors escort, and served as leader of Wyre Forest District Council.

Together with the Chief Constable, he sets the policy and budgets for policing across Shropshire. Currently, Mr Campion is consulting on the policing budget for West Mercia for the next financial year, and is asking taxpayers if they are happy to pay more for extra policing.

The PCC’s has promised he will continue to deliver on the public’s priorities: seeing greater visibility and accessibility of police officers, better quality investigations and outcomes, and improved public contact.

In this interview, Mr Campion tells Eric about his main policing concerns, talks about officers numbers, and how he will prioritise where the money goes.

However, he admits to Eric that there is not enough visible policing in some Shropshire towns and that he is working to change that.

In the podcast, he admits to the former BBC Shropshire presenter: "I don't think they are there enough at the moment. But it is not down to the hardworking police and PCSOs but the system.

"People like me and the Chief Constable haven't set up a system where they have enough time to be in the community."

Eric also grills the PCC on how he roots out police officers that are not "fit and proper" for the role and highlights some headline cases from other forces.

John Campion admits behaviours from some police officers have "turned his stomach" but he explains what he is doing to "root out" officers that abuse their position.

Find out more by by listening to Episode Six of In Conversation With Eric Smith.