FAST-TRACK police officers are playing a vital role in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in the West Mercia force area.
The officers are doing Police Now – a two-year national graduate programme aimed at helping to transform communities.
And nationwide communities where Police Now officers have been posted for the last 22-months have seen 38,772 fewer incidents of anti-social behaviour compared to the same time period from October 2016 – equivalent to a 14 per cent drop.
PC Cat Hughes, of West Mercia Police, has been dealing with problems of anti-social behaviour from a repeat offender in her community and having put together a problem-solving plan she is working with local partner agencies to find ways to reduce ASB.
“I worked with the problem-solving hub and got the man issued with a Community Protection Warning to prevent his ASB heightening into further offences,” she explained.
“Since the explanation and issuing of this warning, there have been no problems with the man and I believe this has helped to solve the issue.
“From working in the role I see how vital and necessary neighbourhood policing is. You gain a better insight into what lasting problems are occurring and work with many other agencies to help solve this.”
As well as the drop in anti-social behaviour, across the country communities have also recorded 14,301 fewer incidents of criminal damage and arson – a fall of 13 per cent.
Nationwide, there were 12,460 fewer incidents of burglary – a fall of 16 per cent – and 31,732 fewer incidents of theft, equivalent to a drop of 14 per cent.
Police Now has recruited a total of 1,830 officers across 33 forces in the UK, including West Mercia Police.
