West Mercia PCC’s Newsletter

This month’s edition includes the results of my police mergers consultation, news about more officers working in neighbourhood policing roles, investment in TruCams to reduce the harm caused on our roads, plus much more news directly related to the community you live in.

Read on to find out more!

Thank you,

John Campion
West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner

After the Government published its proposals for the biggest reforms to policing in more than six decades without featuring them in the General Election debate or following any public consultation, I wanted to ensure your voice was heard.

Over the past three months, I have therefore travelled across West Mercia, engaging with communities and listening to your views.

The conversations were wide ranging, but one message was clear: people want a policing service that meets their needs and reflects local priorities.

More than 3,300 people took part in my consultation both online and face-to-face, providing a strong and reliable set of results which I have now shared with the Home Secretary and made it clear that major reform must be done with the public, not to them.

In total, 3,375 responses were submitted. This sample size supports a high level of statistical confidence as representative of the West Mercia area

The consultation initially asked if respondents were aware of the Government’s proposal to merge police forces. 56% of respondents were aware, 41% were not aware, and 3% were unsure.

When asked if they support the proposal, 57% oppose police force mergers, 22% in support and 21% unsure.

• Perceived concerns include; local policing and local priorities (78%), visibility of police officers (66%), and policing knowledge of local area (63%).
• Perceived benefits include; share back office resources (42%), no perceived benefits (39%), and ability to respond to complex crimes (39%).

To read the results in full – click here!

Putting the voice of the public at the heart of policing was the bedrock upon which this country’s policing was built upon, and ensuring your voice continues to be heard at both a local and national level is a key part of my role as your Police and Crime Commissioner.

As recent events remind us, public confidence in policing has never been more important. Policing belongs to the people it serves, and they should have a meaningful say in its future.

My consultation shows that communities are not being given the full picture by the Government and that people have limited information about a major change to policing that directly affects them.

I support change when it is done properly – with public consultation and public backing. Without that, its legitimacy is in doubt.

I’d like to thank the thousands of you who took the time to have your voice heard in my consultation.

The findings show the Government’s message isn’t landing locally. People in West Mercia are unclear, unconvinced and there is no clear mandate for the proposals.

My role is to give a voice to the public. That’s why I launched this consultation and why I will ensure your views remain front and centre as the Government takes this forward.

Read my letter to the Home Secretary

More officers in the heart of communities

Residents tell me time and again how much they value seeing officers on the beat, building relationships, and responding to local concerns.

The Chief Constable and I share that commitment. So, after delivering record numbers of police officers in West Mercia, to ensure communities feel the benefit of that investment we will be increasing the number of officers working in neighbourhood policing roles.

This move forms a key part of my Safer Communities Plan, ensuring officers remain rooted in the heart of local communities focused on the issues that matter most to local residents and businesses.

Six locations have been identified for an uplift in neighbourhood officers:

• Bromyard, Herefordshire – three additional officers

• Church Stretton, Shropshire – three additional officers

• Whitchurch, Shropshire – three additional officers

• Droitwich, Worcestershire – two additional officers

• Stourport, Worcestershire – two additional officers

• Worcester City – one additional officer

This change builds on the additional officers which were put into communities last year.

More information

The officers are being posted now and will begin joining their new communities over the coming months.  Read more

Let’s give violence against women and girls the red card

The spectacle of the World Cup is a moment of excitement for many – but for some, it brings fear. Too many women and girls across West Mercia are subject to abuse, often behind closed doors, and that is simply unacceptable.

As Police and Crime Commissioner, I fund a range of services focused on supporting victims, changing harmful behaviour, and preventing abuse from happening in the first place.

Throughout the World Cup, I will be promoting those services and how you can get in touch/make any referrals on my social media channels.

Find out more

Financial adviser who defrauded people out of £2million jailed

Fraud and online scams amount to more than half of all crime in West Mercia, with recent reports showing a rise in scams such as courier fraud, romance fraud, and the growing use of AI-enabled techniques to deceive victims.

Many victims suffer in silence due to shame and stigma, with the true scale of the problem underreported.

Earlier this month, a financial adviser who defrauded people he knew, his clients, and a charity out of nearly £2milion was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Timothy ‘Paul’ Barnes [pictured], 68, of Charland Court, Droitwich, had pleaded guilty to:

• 34 counts of fraud by false representation
• Three counts of make/supply article for use in fraud
• Two counts of fraud by abuse of position

Scams are more than just financial crimes. They target the most vulnerable in our communities and cause huge emotional damage.

That’s why last September, I awarded grant funding to nine organisations from a pot of £20k, to prevent scams and support victims of fraud.

Through a combination of direct action against the perpetrators and support for individuals and communities, I am determined to work with West Mercia Police and partner organisations to drive these figures down and the con artists out of West Mercia.

• If you’ve been the victim of fraud or to find out more about how to prevent it, support and advice can be found here.

Read more about the case

Former karate coach sentenced for non-recent sexual offences

Protecting the most vulnerable in our society and supporting victims and witnesses is a key priority in my Safer Communities Plan, and children are among the most vulnerable in our society.

Last week, a former Shropshire karate coach, who abused the trust of children to inflict years of sexual abuse, was handed a seven-year sentence.

Tony Castle, of HMP Whatton in Nottinghamshire, previously pleaded guilty in May (2026) to 10 counts of indecent assault against two boys between 1987 and 2002.

Castle was handed a seven-year sentence at Shrewsbury Crown Court on 17 June, to run concurrently with a 10-year sentence he was given in 2024.

Whether recent or historical abuse, every victim should be helped to raise their voice and justice be served.

I will continue to make sure that the voice of the victim is heard by those that need to hear it and I will ensure that they get the access to the support they need, and that their voices are reflected in the work I do along with partner organisations and West Mercia Police.

Read more about the case

Advice about child abuse

Keeping communities safe on our roads 24/7

Keeping those who use our roads safe is a 24/7, year-round priority for West Mercia Police across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire, and road safety sits at the heart of my West Mercia Safer Communities Plan.

From January to December 2025, there were 462 collisions on our roads across West Mercia, which resulted in 55 deaths and 473 serious injuries.

Grant funding from my budget helps to actively target dangerous driving, impaired driving and organised criminal activity throughout the year.

Officers have been kept busy over the past few days keeping our roads safe in the heat. In just a couple of days they dealt with a motorcyclist who overtook on solid white lines (in front of two marked police motorcycles), arrested a motorist in Bromsgrove who was nearly three times over the drink drive limit (at 11 am in the morning!), and stopped high performance cars racing on the A448 in Bromsgrove.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras led officers to a man wanted on the M5, and weapons were recovered after an intelligence-led stop in Worcester.

I am determined to reduce the number of preventable road deaths across West Mercia, and it’s this kind of regular enforcement activity together with education around road safety and dangerous behaviour, that will help achieve that.

That’s why I’ve also invested a further £50,000 in laser‑based technology to tackle speeding in local communities.

This latest funding increases the number of TruCam cameras used by West Mercia Police by five to a total of 18, giving officers and PCSOs greater capacity to deliver visible, effective enforcement where it’s needed most.

Road Safety Information

Find out more about the Road Safety Team

Find out more about what I fund to promote road safety

Confidence in West Mercia Police continues to increase

Hearing your views on policing is really important to me, that’s why I commission a public survey every quarter to ensure your voice is heard.

The latest results for January to March 2026 are in and they show, mostly, a positive picture.

• 10% more people say they’re confident in how the force is policing the roads (72%).

• Across the force area, 21% of residents also said they see a police officer or PCSO at least once a week. This is a 1% increase compared to the same period in 2025.

• Levels of confidence in West Mercia Police continue to rise (81%), while seven in 10 (70%) of those surveyed say they believe they would receive a good level of service.

• Nearly six in 10 (58%) feel the force is doing a good or excellent job overall.

Read more, including figures for where you live

Marking Armed Forces Day

Saturday 27 June is Armed Forces Day, a day to show support for the heroes who are serving and have served in our military.

It’s particularly poignant to mark the special link between policing and our Armed Forces. We are fortunate to have many ex-service personnel make the career change into policing, including some of those pictured*.

I understand for many leaving the military it can be hard to adjust back into civilian life. That’s why I proudly fund the Remember Veterans service, delivered by YSS, who work with ex-service men and women currently involved in contact with – or at risk of becoming involved in – the criminal justice system.

Through intensive 1:1 support, YSS work closely with each veteran to create a tailored plan that connects them with the right resources, guidance, and opportunities for a brighter future.

[Picture from left to right: PC Paul Slaymaker* /Detective Inspector Martin Brown* / PCC John Campion / Director of Business Services Rachel Hartland-Lane / Daisy Robinson* /PC Andy Forbes*]

Considered lessons to be learned from Henry Nowak death

At the beginning of the month, we saw the body‑worn footage from Hampshire police officers involved in the Henry Nowak tragedy.

Seeing that footage was heartbreaking, and the exceptional leadership shown by Henry’s father on the courthouse steps after the sentencing of his attacker was a profound act of dignity and strength in the face of unimaginable pain.

It’s important that the IOPC investigation now underway progresses quickly so the family can get the answers they deserve. It is already clear that there will be lessons to learn – but as Andy George, the Head of the National Black Police Association, has said, those lessons must not lead to reactive or ill‑considered reforms.

Communities rightly expect the police to act with impartiality and professional curiosity, and the training officers receive must be rooted in those values. But anti‑racism training exists for a reason: it reflects a long‑standing commitment to ensuring that all communities – regardless of race or religion – are treated fairly and equally. History shows us that this has not always been the case.

We must allow the investigative process to run its course, learn the lessons, and ensure that any changes strengthen policing, not weaken it.

Release of man who attacked officer ‘a complete failure of justice’ 

Police officers do the most extraordinary job day‑in, day‑out, to keep our communities safe. Any act that harms those who step out onto the thin blue line – in any form – must be treated with the seriousness it deserves.

With that in mind, I am utterly appalled that Alex Quinn, who carried out a violent assault against PC Ryan Davis [pictured] in March 2024, has served less than 100 days of his three‑year‑and‑ten‑month sentence.

PC Davis was left with a dislocated and broken ankle, a broken lower leg, multiple fractures and facial injuries, including damage to an eye. He continues to struggle with PTSD, and the attack has left him fearful of going out. No officer – no person – should be left to carry that burden.

The decision to release Quinn is a complete failure of justice. It is not only an injustice to PC Davis, but to every emergency worker who risks their life to protect the public.

This outcome undermines the very principles our justice system is meant to uphold.

Our overcrowded prisons are yet another warning sign of a system in crisis – one weakened by years of inaction from the previous Government and now a failure to act from the current Government. If Parliament invokes laws, it must ensure we have a fit‑for‑purpose criminal justice system. Otherwise, the promise of greater protection for emergency workers becomes little more than empty rhetoric.

As PCC and Chair of the Local Criminal Justice Board, I have written directly to the Home Secretary about this case and the forthcoming Sentencing Act reforms.

Under these proposals, many offenders serving Standard Determinate Sentences may become eligible for release after serving as little as one third of their sentence in custody, with the remainder served in the community. For victims already enduring long investigations, years of court delays and immense emotional strain, the prospect of offenders being released even earlier risks destroying what little confidence remains in the justice process.

Hear from PC Davis

Letter to the Home Secretary

Ban on social media for under-16s

Social media has become increasingly like the Wild West. It is therefore right that, after listening to victims and their families, the Government is introducing safeguards to better protect the most vulnerable in our society.

Technology is a force for good, but without effective reform, banning social media for under‑16s becomes the only viable option to reduce the risks young people face online.

But that ban must be balanced. With the Government considering lowering the voting age to 16, it would be illogical for a 15‑year‑old to be unable to see a politician’s views on social media. A proportionate approach is needed – one that recognises both the risks and the realities of how young people engage with the world.

We must support future generations to build the online skills, awareness and resilience they will rely on throughout their lives. Alongside this, thoughtful and proportionate regulation of the platforms they can and cannot access will be essential to keeping them genuinely safe online.

A big thank you to our amazing volunteers

Volunteers who give up their time to make a difference to the places they live are the bedrock of our communities.

It’s right over the recent Volunteers’ Week to celebrate that work and its link with policing.

They are part of our West Mercia family, and we are incredibly grateful.

Special Constables

Specials are volunteers working in West Mercia Police. From tackling anti-social behaviour in hotspot areas, to maintaining a visible presence in the city centre, and arresting shoplifters, no two shifts are ever the same.

Join the team

One of my statutory responsibilities, ICVs are a key part of the justice system, making sure the rights of those in police custody are being maintained. Going behind the scenes of police custody, ICVs get to see things that normal members of the public don’t.

Could you be an ICV?

Victim Support

Out and about he saw their work engaging with the public, dealing with reports of anti-social behaviour, as well as arresting an offender suspected of shoplifting.

It was a great opportunity to speak to the team about the work they are doing and the progress they are making since they were awarded the Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) and Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) contracts.

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