The police commissioner has committed to "having the voices of seldom heard communities listened to in West Mercia". 

The latest assurance and accountability session took place on Wednesday October 25, and was led by the region's PCC John Campion and Temporary Chief Constable (T/CC) Alex Murray.

PCC John Campion said: "As PCC, I am committed to ensuring voices of all communities in West Mercia are at the heart of policing.

"It’s clear that some communities feel their views are not heard which impacts the confidence they have in the police.

"This meeting was an opportunity for me to shine a light on their concerns and give the Temporary Chief Constable an opportunity to talk about the work the force is doing to bring about change."

Acting as the public's voice in policing, the PCC was looking for reassurance that the ongoing concerns of residents weren't being overlooked.

PCC Campion added: "While I believe the force is on the right path, there’s a lot more that needs to be done."

The Temporary Chief Constable (T/CC) stressed the importance of forming strategic plans to deal with issues stemming from the public's lack of faith in the police.

By acknowledging these differences, both hope to bolster confidence in the region's forces.

The conversation then shifted to the issue of body worn video compliance targets, with the force committed to review and align their targets to T/CC expectations and assuring that adequate scrutiny was attached to non-compliance cases.

The use of strip search procedures in custody was also discussed, with the force revealing further data had been gathered in order to better understand its usage, and that plans are in process to reduce confrontation during strip searches through training and by raising awareness levels.

Following dialogue about the force's efforts to engage with seldom heard communities the T/CC shone a light on the positive engagement across the three counties.

PCC Campion said: "I will continue to use all the powers available to me to ensure the new Chief Constable is supported and challenged on progress to create an environment where all communities can have full confidence in the policing service they receive."