Improvements needed in response to serious organised crime across West Mercia
The report by the inspectorate has come out today
Last updated 14th May 2024
A report into how police forces across the West Midlands tackles serious and organised crime has found improvements need to be made.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) inspected the West Midlands ROCU and made graded judgments on how the unit and its four constituent police forces tackle serious and organised crime:
• West Mercia Police has been graded as inadequate.
The inspectorate said that the West Midlands ROCU has effective structures and processes in place to gather and assess intelligence, and that it makes effective use of its specialist capabilities.
However, HMICFRS said that the West Midlands ROCU should improve its management of serious and organised crime offenders, and how it records disruption activity.
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Andy Cooke said: “The Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) for the West Midlands has effective processes in place to collect and assess intelligence, supporting its ability to set priorities and tackle serious and organised crime. We found that the ROCU has a range of specialist operational capabilities, which it ensures its personnel and forces are aware of. It also prioritises tackling vulnerability, identifying opportunities to safeguard vulnerable people.
“However, the ROCU and its regional forces need to improve how they work together to tackle serious and organised crime. It’s also important that regional change is managed effectively by the newly appointed leaders in this area, to reduce any impact on services.
“We will be working closely with the ROCU and monitoring its progress against our new recommendations.”
FORCES REPLY - WEST MERCIA POLICE
Temporary Chief Constable Murray said: “Whilst I am, of course, disappointed with the grading given, I accept that there are more improvements we need to make in the way we tackle serious organised crime. The inspection was a review of our work in 2022 and the beginning of 2023 and we’ve already made some significant changes. In the last 12 months we’ve seen crime reduce, including a 10% decrease in robbery, more crimes detected, significant investigations concluding with lengthy prison sentences for offenders and ultimately less victims of crime in the areas we serve.
“We are dedicated to disrupting and dismantling organised crime groups; in the past year we’ve arrested 484 people and seized drugs with an estimated street value of almost £1million and almost £300,000 worth of cash. 167 weapons have been taken off our streets and 164 people have been safeguarded. Our communities will also have seen outcomes of significant investigations on our social media channels and in the local press, such as the February sentencing for county lines drug dealers to a combined total of more than 40 years in prison – just one example of the positive results we are seeing in pursuing offenders.”