| Welcome to my latest newsletter.
This month’s edition includes a reminder to make sure you have your say on the future of policing, a rural crime round-up, and an invite to an upcoming event focused on gearing up your motorcycle skills!
Thank you.
John Campion
Police and Crime Commissioner |
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Have your say on the future of policing in only 3 minutes
While waiting for your kettle to boil, you can have your say on the Government’s proposals to reduce the number of police forces in England and Wales from 43 to 12.
If the Government’s proposals go ahead, it would be the biggest shake up to policing in more than six decades; and I believe it’s important your views on that change are heard.
My consultation is not a political intervention. I believe policing reform is needed but it has to happen in the right way, driven by the experiences and insights of YOU, the public.
I urge you to have YOUR voice heard, the results of which I will share with the Government.
The consultation closes on 15 June 2026. |
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Gear up your motorcycle skills on Sunday 26 April
Are you a motorcyclist or interested in getting onto two wheels?
Focused on supporting motorcyclists on the road to becoming better riders, the Redditch Advanced Motorcyclist Group is running its latest taster day at Redditch police and fire station on Sunday 26 April from 10am to 4pm.
Following its success in 2025, the event has been organised in partnership with myself, West Mercia Police and Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, and is an opportunity for motorcyclists to go along and ride for free with one of the group’s qualified observers.
Following the 30-minute ride, feedback will be provided to understand what a rider is doing well, and what they can improve.
Anyone interested in further learning and support, is able to sign-up to the Advanced Rider Course. The first 10 riders to sign up for the course will receive a £50 off voucher, which can be redeemed after passing the Advanced test or attending 10 training sessions.
Alongside free refreshments, RMT Motorcycle Training will be providing advice on getting to the stage of taking your motorcycle test in conjunction with the Riders Hub.
West Mercia Police’s BikeSafe team will also have a stall offering taster rides alongside those offered by RAMG, and the opportunity to participate in future BikeSafe courses. |
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38 major drug lines closed last year
West Mercia Police officers and police staff are continuously working to identify, disrupt and dismantle organised crime groups (OCGs) operating across our region.
Last week, the force released its figures around the action that has taken place between April 2025 to March 2026, which show huge successes, including the closing of 38 drug lines across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire.
Results included:
- Safeguarded 63 people who were vulnerable to exploitation, coercion or harm
- Closed 38 county lines, with line holders arrested and charged and their operations dismantled
- Made 308 arrests and secured 344 charges linked to county lines offending
- Removed more than £2.3 million worth of drugs from circulation, including cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and cannabis
- Seized £198,170 in cash, preventing criminal profits from being reinvested into further harm
- Recovered 58 weapons, including firearms and bladed items, as well as other dangerous items such as crossbows and axes
- Seized 327 devices, such as mobile phones and 36 vehicles used to facilitate criminal activity
Drug offences have a huge impact on our communities and I am committed to ensuring West Mercia Police has the resources it needs to continue tackling county line offending and other related criminality affecting our three counties.
But my support does not stop there, as it’s important we take a holistic approach which includes prevention and rehabilitation, as well as enforcement.
That’s why I also provide funding to prevention and intervention schemes to tackle the root causes of crime in a bid to stop the crime from happening in the first place.
You can find out what prevention and intervention schemes I support here. |
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Head of nationwide criminal gang sentenced to six years
Drones are just one example of technology giving criminals opportunities to commit offences in new ways, which raise modern challenges for policing.
An example of this in action is the work to bring Kaine Jones, 28, to justice as head of a major national organised crime gang involved in drug trafficking via drones.
On 24 March, Jones was convicted at Redditch Crown Court of conspiracy to convey prohibited articles into or out of a prison and possession with intent to supply a class A drug – MDMA and sentenced to six years.
The prosecution noted Jones oversaw an organised criminal gang whose refined operation involved repeated instances of drone incursions across England, Wales and Scotland.
He came on to the radar of police following a series of incidents around drugs drops into prisons dating back to June 2024.
A seized laptop contained software named ‘Mission Planner’ that included telematics linked to repeated drone flights and calls made to HMP Bullingdon in Bicester, HMP Exeter, HMP Hull and HMP The Mount.
In August 2024, a large drone crashed at HMP Winchester and was recovered by police. Digital forensics linked it to a test flight carried out in July in the immediate vicinity of an address in Tillington Close, Redditch, where Jones was living at the time.
Following a complex investigation led by West Mercia Police’s north Worcestershire county lines team, their hard work was rewarded with this successful conviction and disruption of this organised crime group.
With reducing the harm drugs cause in our communities a key commitment in my Safer Communities Plan, I am focused on ensuring West Mercia Police continues to have the resources it needs to deliver these kind of results. |
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Car key burglary gang sentenced to total of almost 100 years
I’m always struck by the damaging impact burglary has on victims. Our homes are often the places we feel the safest but that line is crossed when someone enters your property and commits a crime.
That’s why I’m delighted eleven members of a cross-border gang that stole more than 100 cars between May and August 2024, has been jailed this month for a series of car key burglaries.
Their sentencing marks the end of Operation Flare, a dedicated investigation involving eight police forces and led by West Mercia Police, that tracked the organised crime group’s criminality across The Midlands, the south of England and Wales.
The gang, who often carried out burglaries in balaclavas and confronted their victims, stole nearly £3.5 million of vehicles, and damage caused to properties together with stolen jewellery and cash, took that figure to £3.67 million.
As the judge remarked, the “terrible and long-lasting impact” of their offences struck “at the heart of society who should feel safe and secure in their own homes”, leaving many of them later moving out as they couldn’t face living there anymore.
I am tremendously proud of all the hardworking officers and staff who worked professionally and tirelessly to secure this conviction. |
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| Tackling crime in rural communities
Investment in two 4×4 vehicles to assist response officers
West Mercia’s rural landscape makes it particularly vulnerable to criminal activity.
According to the latest DEFRA census, the force area is home to 8,451 farms – more than double the number in Lincolnshire, which has the second‑highest total at 3,431. This scale brings unique challenges for policing, communities and the wider rural economy.
This is why it’s so important that West Mercia Police has the right resources to tackle crime and maintain a presence in rural areas.
I have therefore invested in two 4×4 vehicles (based in the north and south of the area) to enable officers to access routes and locations that are often difficult to navigate in standard police cars.
These specialist vehicles will aim to enhance visibility, provide reassurance, and aid operational capability in rural areas where road conditions, bridleways, farm tracks and uneven ground can hinder a quick response.
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| Two arrests following trailer thefts in Herefordshire and Worcestershire
Seven trailer thefts in the space of a month caused untold disruption to residents in our rural communities – both financially and emotionally.
Two men have been arrested in relation to these offences and bailed with further investigations ongoing. The rural crime team believes the thefts are linked to serious and organised crime groups targeting trailers for sale.
You can sign up to Neighbourhood Matters to hear from your local policing team about crime prevention advice, news and updates. |
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Police visibility on the up but confidence in receiving a good service down
How you feel about policing is really important to me, and that’s why I commission a quarterly perception survey focused on ensuring the views of local communities are captured.
With 750 surveys completed each quarter, it provides a representative sample of the public’s perceptions across Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.
The results for the period covering October to December 2025 found 21% of those surveyed said they saw a PCSO or officer at least once a week, a 5% rise when compared to the same quarter in 2024; with 58% saying they were happy with the levels of policing in their area.
However, despite overall confidence in the force remaining steady at 80%, confidence in receiving a good service from West Mercia Police is at its lowest, with 71% of respondents saying they felt confident they would receive a good service from the force. For the same period in 2018, that figure was 83%.
I will be raising this with the Chief Constable and will ensure he has the necessary resources to deliver the standard of service our communities rightly expect. |
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New scheme to give you greater insight into the work of police officers
The principle that “the police are the public, and the public are the police” still holds true today – and innovative virtual ride‑along technology brings that relationship even closer.
I recently saw the system in action, livestreaming body‑worn video from an officer out on patrol. Being in Wellington, Shropshire for its launch, I was genuinely impressed by how clearly it showcases the day‑to‑day work of officers, who do extraordinary things to keep our communities safe.
Building on the success of last year’s ride‑along scheme, which attracted around 800 applications, this virtual format removes barriers and opens up policing to even more people. It gives the public a unique insight into the fast‑paced and often unpredictable nature of frontline policing – strengthening transparency, understanding and trust. |
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| In the heart of your community |
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| WorcestershireSupporting victims and witnesses is a key priority for me, and I commission various services to deliver that including Victim Support that provides the Victim Support Gateway across our patch. My DPCC, Marc Bayliss, visited some of the team in Redditch to learn more about their work in our communities. |
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| Police action in your local area
Find out some of the work West Mercia Police is doing by clicking your local policing area. |
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