Georgia Williams murder: Police chief laments Reynolds failings
West Mercia's police and crime commissioner has spoken of the "clear failings" by a number of agencies that contributed to the murder of Telford teenager Georgia Williams.
Bill Longmore said the police and others "could have done more to protect Georgia", who was just 17 when she was murdered by Jamie Reynolds at his home in Wellington.
A serious case review published this week showed that Reynolds had tried to strangle a 16-year-old girl in 2008 - five years before he murdered the Telford teenager.
But he he received only a final warning from police for the earlier attack.
At least eight agencies, including the police, mental health services, children's services and the probation trust knew of Reynolds' developing, disturbed behaviour but failed to work together to monitor him, despite a doctor noting that he had become a "significant risk to others".
Following the publication of the review this week, Mr Longmore said it "highlights some clear failings by multiple agencies who could have done more to protect Georgia".
"West Mercia Police have accepted their part in that, and along with the other agencies, have accepted all the recommendations in the review," he added..
"Georgia and her family were let down in a number of ways, by a number of organisations. Although clearly nothing can turn back the clock, it's vital to make sure that the risk of anything like this ever happening again is minimised.
"I have been assured that the police have made a number of changes to improve the way they work, and I hope to see improved partnership working and collaboration between the police and all the relevant partners here, because the best results can only be achieved by working together.
"The use of police cautions is a very difficult area, which I strongly feel needs careful management within every force.
"The ethos these days seems to be that 'everyone deserves a chance', but I don't think it's that straight forward. Some people don't deserve that chance, because it's clear that they are not going to make the best use of it.
"Officers need to have a high degree of certainty that issuing a caution is the right thing to do. Experience helps with making those judgements, and the force here has taken steps to improve its use of cautions, and I will be monitoring their progress for the rest of my term of office."
