John Campion: Serious crime 'still rare' amid rise in knife offences
West Mercia's police and crime commissioner has welcomed a fall in burglaries in the latest crime figures, but spoken of his disappointment at the rise in knife- and drug-crime.
The figures, released by the Office of National Statistics showed a 14 per cent fall in house burglaries last year.
But they also showed a similar rise in violent crime.
John Campion said cutting the number of burglaries had been an important priority for him, so he was pleased by the sharp fall.
"This type of crime can cause a huge amount of distress for individuals, with a wider impact on the surrounding community," he said. He added that investment in initiatives such as the We Don't Buy Crime campaign, which gave residents the chance to mark their belongings with Smart Water, had played an important role in this.
"It is disappointing to see that the recording of drug and knife related crimes have increased in West Mercia," he said.
Mr Campion said some that was down to his own all for fuller recording of such crimes, but he said it remained a worrying trend.
He said communities should be reassured, though, that West Mercia remained a safe place where serious crime and violence were still rare.
"I am reassured that the work I fund, being delivered by West Mercia Police and partners to prevent knife crime is making a difference, in terms of education and protecting those that may be drawn into being exploited by criminal gangs, but there is always more to be done," he said.
“I will continue to make sure that West Mercia Police has the resources it needs to tackle all crime effectively and is held to account on behalf of the public for delivering it.”
