West Mercia PCC’s newsletter – March 2026

The first item in this month’s newsletter is about my newly-launched public consultation survey regarding the proposed merger of police forces. It’s important your voice shapes your services, so I welcome your thoughts on the proposals.

Also included are details about the results of County Lines Intensification week, action being taken to reduce the harm caused on our roads, tackling violence against women and girls, and more.

Thank you.

Police and Crime Commissioner, John Campion

Your views sought on biggest shake up of policing in 60 years

Whilst I support elements of the proposals outlined in the White Paper, and I recognise the need for ongoing reform, it has to be thought out, and it has to have you, the tax-paying public’s, support; which I fear it does not.

This consultation is not a political intervention. My focus is to see that reform happens in the right way, driven by the experiences and insights of the communities who rely on the police service. This public consultation will help gather those views.

I urge you to have YOUR voice heard, by taking part in this survey, the results of which I will share with the Government.

The consultation closes on 15 June 2026.

Thanks to the efforts of West Mercia Police’s CID team, people living not just in West Mercia, but also in the surrounding areas can rest slightly easier now after a prolific car key burglary gang was caught and sentenced.

This latest example of a gang being put behind bars is just a snapshot of the incredible work being done every day by police officers and police staff to investigate, identify and bring criminals to justice.

The three members of the gang, all in their early twenties, were responsible for 10 burglaries over two months last year, putting people in fear for their lives and causing considerable distress.

I will continue to support the force with the resources it needs to tackle this type of crime, so that communities can feel safe.  Read more

The first week of March saw the return of County Lines Intensification Week, during which officers seized £1.5million worth of drugs across Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire, and Telford & Wrekin.

Seventy-three people were also arrested, and more than £27K in cash linked to criminality was seized. Twelve bladed weapons and three firearms were taken off the streets, and the combined activity resulted in six ‘lines’ being closed.

The work carried out by West Mercia Police netted some of the highest results in relation to arrests and drug seizures.

Illegal drugs and the organised crime gangs that supply them are a blight on our society. Be it, taking advantage of vulnerable individuals, money laundering, or the low-level crime activity that funds a drugs habit; left unchecked illegal drugs can be a pervasive virus that spreads across a community.

That’s why it’s so important that we work closely with our partners and the force throughout the year — whether that’s through investigations, warrants, police operations, or intensification weeks. This mix of enforcement and the right support really can help cut drug‑related crime and make West Mercia a far less appealing place for organised crime gangs.

As PCC, I provide financial support to a number of organisations whose work is designed to help people break their drugs habit and reduce drug-related crime. You can read more about the substance misuse initiatives I support here.

You can also read more about the results from the force’s week of action here.

Partnership working is crucial to keeping our communities safe, and a positive end result of this was seen last week when a construction vehicle and HGV lorry were seized during a joint operation in Worcestershire.

Officers from the Evesham Rural Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) supported the Environment Agency and the DVSA to target vehicles suspected of being involved in illegal waste activity at Throckmorton Industrial Park.

Illegal waste dumping damages our countryside, our communities and the environment and activity like this, combining intelligence and enforcement, sends a clear message that it will not be tolerated.

By working with partners and the public, as detailed in my Safer Communities Plan, we will continue to deliver safer, stronger communities in West Mercia.

Unroadworthy vehicles stopped in vehicle safety operation

With road safety sitting at the heart of my Safer Communities Plan, I saw firsthand the work that takes place all year-round across our three counties to reduce the harm caused on our roads.

Of the vehicles stopped, three had no insurance, one driver had no licence, five had illegal tints, three were stopped for number plate offences, five had insecure loads, one had a defective tyre, one had no tax, two had no MOT, and three vehicles were overweight. One driver also tested positive for drug driving and was arrested.

My deputy, Marc Bayliss, has also seen firsthand how TruCam technology will be used to combat speeding on the A4104 in Baughton, Worcestershire.

This handheld equipment is already making a real difference across West Mercia, as it only needs one police officer or PCSO to use it, and footage can be uploaded quickly and efficiently, meaning more police time can be spent out in local communities.

It’s through operations such as those detailed above that are taking place across Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire throughout the year, that we can lower the number of road-related injuries and deaths.

By working with partners to deliver targeted action, together with enforcement and education, I hope to reduce the number of preventable collisions across our three counties.

The 14th of March was the one-year anniversary of the death of 18-year-old Simon Evans on one of West Mercia’s roads.

Simon, was one of three teenagers, killed in a collision that night in Shropshire.

A few days before this awful anniversary, I met with Simon’s parents Dave and Sue.

To hear them talk about their son, what happened that night, and how they have been surviving this past year was both heartbreaking and humbling.

Sadly, these conversations are not unfamiliar to me, as I hear all too frequently from families who’ve lost a loved one, and often-times it’s a death that could have been prevented.

I gave my promise to the Evans family, as I have to others, and as I do to you now, that I will continue to play my part as your PCC to do everything in my power to reduce the number of preventable deaths on our roads, through a combination of enforcement and education.

But we need to work together on this. Working with partnership organisations and each other, to educate ourselves, our families and our friends – young and old – to effect positive behavioural change across society.

And while the Government may have taken Graduated Driving Licences (GDLs) off the table, the political leaders in Northern Ireland have not. They, like I, and the families who’ve lost loved ones, see how the implementation of GDLs can save lives and I will continue to pursue this change.

The operation enabled a more targeted approach with more patrols to prevent and deter rural crime.

Using marked and unmarked vehicles, some of the results included:

• 1 stolen vehicle recovered with the driver, who also had no licence or insurance, being dealt with accordingly
• 1 vehicle recovered for no insurance
• 1 vehicle recovered for no tax
• 1 person arrested on suspicion of drug driving, with a positive stop search for drugs
• 1 vehicle disturbed in relation to rural crime that failed to stop, but given the weather and risk of pursuit was not engaged with but enquiries are ongoing in relation to the vehicle

I know from talking with farmers, landowners and communities in rural areas, their desire for proactive policing to deter criminals from thinking rural areas are a soft target.

Activity such as this, together with behind the scenes investigative work, is taking place across West Mercia.

In West Mercia, crimes of violence against women and girls have risen by 1.6% since 2024, with 20,690 offences recorded in 2025.

I remain committed to working with partners, listening to women and girls, and ensuring their voices shape the action we take to consign violence against women and girls to the history books.

That’s why I fund a wide range of organisations and initiatives designed to empower women, provide practical safety support and drive long‑term behavioural change among perpetrators.

These include:

• An all-risk level perpetrator programme – the first of its kind in West Mercia – focused on changing harmful behaviour
• Independent Domestic Violence Advisors and Independent Sexual Violence Advisors, who provide specialist support for victims
• Cut It Out – free domestic abuse awareness training
• Running Safe, running free – research into the harassment of female runners
• A drink-spiking awareness and prevention campaign
• Safe Space – a cross-partnership initiative delivering a Safe Space van in Worcester during the night-time economy
• Self-defence classes for women and girls to build confidence and practical skills
• Thousands of personal safety alarms distributed since 2016

Over the past month, I saw firsthand some of the excellent work being done by these initiatives.

Ask for Angela, a public safety initiative that I support, also marked its 10-year anniversary this month.

It’s sad these initiatives are still needed, but with 1,594 offences of stalking and harassment across West Mercia in 2025, rising by more than 1,300 cases when compared to 2024, and with 67.5% of the total victims being women, it’s clear we all need to be doing more to effect positive change to behaviours that are sadly deep-rooted in society.

As Commissioner, I remain committed to ensuring the services I commission are diverse, effective, and able to meet the wide range of needs within our local communities.

That’s why I’m proud to announce continued funding to two services dedicated to transforming lives.

Delivered by the charity Your Support Services (YSS), my investment of £82K will help both the Youth MORSE project and the Remember Veterans service continue to deliver positive change.

Youth MORSE works with teenagers who have committed driving offences to change their behaviour and break negative cycles; whilst Remember Veterans addresses the complex challenges faced by those who have served our country adjusting back to civilian life.

It is vital the right support is in place to meet their needs within our local communities.

Find out some of the work West Mercia Police is doing by clicking your local policing area.