I have asked West Mercia Police to give greater clarity on the effectiveness of its of Covid-19 enforcement activity, which looks set to remain into 2021.
During the latest ‘holding to account’ meeting with the Chief Constable, Anthony Bangham, I asked for reassurance that policing teams across the whole force area are consistent in their approach to enforcement, and are measuring and monitoring performance to enable service improvements to be made as the service develops and progresses into 2021.
This year has been one of the most challenging years in recent history, and it has brought with it exceptional challenges for policing, with the force needing to change and adapt to meet the changing demands of the national health emergency.
As commissioner it is my duty to provide oversight and scrutiny to make sure the West Mercia Police is acting in the best interests of the communities it serves.
West Mercia Police officers and staff have risen to the challenge, and the community should be proud of their police service’s contribution to tackling Covid 19. But, even as the new vaccine starts to be rolled out, it’s likely that social restrictions will be necessary for the foreseeable future.
It is vital that West Mercia Police has consistent leadership from the very top, and that where there is good practice, that this is captured and shared across the force to continually improve the service for all communities.
We are now seeing some light at the end of the tunnel with the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccine, but we cannot afford to become complacent. The force still has a duty to uphold the current restrictions in a proportionate way that maintains the consent of the public, and this is likely to remain the case well into next year.
As Commissioner I will continue to stand up for what our community needs to be kept safe, and that includes, for the time being, the policing response to Covid 19.
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