PCC to focus on violence against women and girls with police chief

Declared as a national emergency, Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion is committed to ensuring West Mercia Police is playing its part in tackling violence against women and girls.

In the latest Assurance & Accountability meeting on Monday 16 December with West Mercia Police’s Chief Constable Richard Cooper, PCC John Campion will focus on VAWG – a top concern for local communities.

Delivering on the VAWG Action Plan, the PCC will ask the Chief Constable to run-through the force’s progress over the past twelve months.

This includes an assessment of culture within the force to ensure officers are getting the training they need, ensuring that reports are investigated properly, and cases are dealt with appropriately. Looking to the future, emerging threats and how risk and impact is managed will also be covered.

The PCC will shine a spotlight on the force’s performance in response to domestic abuse incidents, use of technology to improve the victim journey, and civil orders. Feedback from an independent advisory group will also shape work to build trust and increase wider public confidence.

The meeting will conclude with a look at referral figures from the force into partner organisations to ensure victims are getting signposted to the help they need to cope and recover.

PCC John Campion said: “I hear regularly from the public about their concerns around violence against women and girls and its prevalence in our society.

“That’s why I continue to focus on this issue, with the latest meeting another step on that journey to ensuring West Mercia Police is doing all it can to tackle this harmful and life changing crime in our communities.”