WEST Mercia’s Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion paid a visit to Oswestry Borderlands Rotary Club recently.
Mr Campion, who was been in the post since 2016 and is currently serving a second term, joined the club to talk about his role and responsibility for policing.
He said his priorities were, care and support of survivors and victims, a secure West Mercia and a focus on the rebuilding of a visible police presence on the streets and thus reassure and build back any lost trust in the police.
Mr Campion added: “We police by consent in this country, so the force must be trusted – and be seen – but we don’t leave any marks.
“A painter and decorator paints a wall so you can see where he’s been but with the police, when they leave a location, there is no sign of their recent presence so there may be more police about than we think.”
He also discussed online crime and the scourge of the ‘county-lines’ drug problem and reported that a lot of effort and manpower was being used to stamp it out.
He concluded by talking about highway policing.
He added: “There are many deaths on the road and we each have to take responsibility for our own actions and so make the roads safer for everyone.”
A Borderland Rotary spokesman said: “Mr Campion was quick to explain that he is not in fact a policeman but the man with the money for policing in this area.
“In a very interesting and highly entertaining talk he explained that he had been elected Commissioner in 2016 having previously served in the cabinet of the Worcestershire County Council.”