I will continue to support the reform of the back office functions enabling more money to be diverted to protect front line policing. I will continue to be open and transparent in how decisions are made and how tax payer’s money is spent.
- I will ensure West Mercia Police balance’s its books and effectively manages its finances. I will ensure your money is spent as efficiently as possible before ever asking you to pay any more
- I will ensure an ever greater percentage of the budget is spent on policing and fighting crime
- I will support West Mercia Police with the tools and equipment they need to fight crime and keep us safe. This includes the right technology and buildings to support them to be at the heart of our community as well as effectively fighting crime
- I will support West Mercia Police to reduce its carbon foot print through investing in more energy efficient buildings and vehicles powered from renewable sources
- I will professionally and effectively hold the Chief Constable of West Mercia Police to account for the effectiveness and efficiency of the service
- I support the reform of the emergency services including the way fire services are governed in West Mercia. I believe they should work ever closer together to deliver increases in efficiency and effectiveness, as well as greater collaboration with West Mercia Police. I believe this is only likely to be achieved with maximum effect by the creation of a Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner in West Mercia.
My Plan for crime prevention
Over the past five years as Commissioner I have consistently focused West Mercia Police on fighting crime, catching criminals and making our communities safer; as a result most crime types are down.
I have been consistently clear that crime and harm being caused should never just be accepted as inevitable in West Mercia. In my unrelenting focus on tackling crime I have also focused on the prevention of crime by tackling the root causes of it.
As part of a series of pledges in the run up to the PCC election in West Mercia on Thursday 6th May, John I have pledged to continue to increase the amount invested in prevention in my drive to deliver a Safer West Mercia. I will further focus prevention on:
- Targeting the perpetrators of domestic abuse. 1 in 4 crimes in West Mercia features domestic abuse. It is engrained within too much of our society and I will target the perpetrators of this wicked crime to break the cycle of domestic abuse.
- Targeting the most dangerous drivers on our roads. Too many people are dying or being seriously injured on our roads. Enforcement will continue to play a major role in making our roads safer, but it must also be accompanied with an intense focus on the causes of that behaviour. I will also continue to work with highway authorities to design out danger on our roads.
- I have invested in my ‘We Don’t Buy Crime’ scheme that has seen Burglary drop by 31% in West Mercia through the roll out of SmartWater property marking. I will continue to expand the scheme to more parts of West Mercia including offering all Farms in West Mercia a “Farm Crime Prevention Pack”.
- I will continue to support our Town Centres to thrive and feel safe with further investment in community CCTV.
- I will increase investment in diversionary schemes for young people on the edge of criminality, ensuring they have the right support and role models to enter adulthood as law abiding citizens.
The fight against crime will only ever be truly successful if it is accompanied by an effective and wide ranging programme of prevention. I have focused West Mercia Police on more effectively fighting crime, targeting criminals and supporting victims but we must do even more to target the causes of crime in our society.
If re-elected I will increase investment in prevention programmes across a range of issues. As part of this investment I will work to ensure survivors of crime such as domestic abuse should have confidence that West Mercia Police will not only work hard to bring their perpetrator to justice and support them in their recovery, but also effectively rehabilitate those perpetrators to break the cycle of harm.