West Mercia Crime Commissioner's £288 million budget is approved

PCC John Campion said he is focused on delivering improvements for the communities of West Mercia after his budget plans were supported.

The £288 million budget approved by the panel this week for the 2024/25 financial year will see an increase of £11.3 million compared to last year's budget.

The increase in police funding will see a 4.91 per cent increase in the council tax element for policing. This equates to approximately £277.50 for an average Band D property or 25p per week.

Mr Campion said: “This budget has the communities of West Mercia at the heart of it. My latest investment will build on the progression I have already made in West Mercia Police and will focus on the areas that matter to the public such as how they make contact with their police service.

“This budget has come with some tough decisions and, as a result, some changes will have to be made within West Mercia Police. However, it is important that we review this, and I have worked with the Chief Constable to ensure that resources are refocused towards the areas of priority and public concern.

“I remain committed to ensuring the communities of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Worcestershire feel the benefits of the decisions I make on their behalf.”

Temporary Chief Constable Alex Murray added: “Building on the investments made over the last year, this budget will support our commitment to visible and accessible policing for the people of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Worcestershire.

“Due to the current national financial landscape difficult decisions have had to be made, but I want to reassure the communities we serve that we are prioritising the issues that we know matter most to them. We will continue improving the service you receive when you contact us and will keep reducing the number of victims and people impacted by crime.”

Mr Campion said he has had to make tough decisions as a result of the financial challenges the country continues to face, which has resulted in a need to refocus resources to ensure they are aimed at the areas of greatest public concern.

This includes improved visible and accessible policing and creation of town centre policing to tackle shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and thefts.

Other areas include better investigations and outcomes using improved technology to support police officers in checking for criminal activity on mobile phones and computers, and improving call response times for the emergency and non-emergency lines, and technology to allow digital evidence to be uploaded by the public.