This week sees officers and staff from across West Mercia Police out and about supporting Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Week.

Delivering on the Police and Crime Commissioner’s commitment to ‘Policing with the community’, as set out in his police and crime plan, we will be working with our community partners to keep the public safe in support of our Local Policing Community Charter.

Across our Herefordshire, Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire and North and South Worcestershire Local Policing Areas (LPAs), police will be #MakingCommunitiesSafer at multiple events and activities working to showcase the work we and our partners do every day, 365 days a year.

We will be engaging with local communities to focus on specific issues and concerns raised by them, with increased patrols in rural areas, parks, town centres and other areas where the public have helped to identify a problem with ASB.

The week will see officers and partners actively engage with young people, victims of ASB and working with our community heroes, by making presentations at schools and at community hubs, speaking to victims, getting involved in community tidy-ups and reassuring the public over any concerns they may have.

Keep an eye on our social media platforms throughout the week to see what your local Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs), Town Centre Teams (TCTs) and colleagues are up to in conjunction with partners.

Chief Inspector Graham Preece, West Mercia’s operational lead for ASB, said: “West Mercia Police is committed to doing everything we can to tackle ASB and working closely with our local communities to achieve this.

“ASB covers many aspects and can include graffiti, littering, vandalism, off-road motorcycles, drinking in parks, aggressive and intimidating behaviour and we are aware that for many people it is one of their biggest concerns where they live.

“Supporting the national week of ASB awareness is another opportunity to engage with the public and address any concerns that they may have as well as raising awareness of what we partnership work we do every day of the year and how, by working together, we can help reduce what can blight many of the communities where we live.”

John Campion, West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “No crime is low-level as I hear regularly from residents and business owners about the impact anti-social behaviour has on their feelings of safety.

“As your voice in policing, I am focused on tackling your concerns and that’s why I continue to back West Mercia Police with the resources it needs to address them. 

“Through my investment which has delivered record number of police officers, ten new town centre policing teams and targeted policing activity in hot-spot areas, I am committed to cutting crime even further in West Mercia.”