THOUSANDS more homes in West Mercia have another line of defence against crime after receiving SmartWater kits as part of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s funded ‘We Don’t Buy Crime’ scheme.
It means there are now over 60,000 ‘SmartWater’ protected homes across the force area with PCC John Campion working with councillors and contributing 25 per cent towards the cost of kits and signage to cover entire communities.
Police say the kits continue to be effective in tackling residential and business thefts with more pockets of the community being registered, for example:
- SmartWater is now registered in 99 towns and parishes
- 192 rural premises have been protected with SmartWater since May
- 27 allotments have registered Smartwater kits
- Bike kits have been issued to 376 cyclists
- 243 retailers have signed up to the scheme
- We Don’t Buy Crime have engaged with 171 fuel stations.
West Mercia Police’s We Don’t Buy Crime’s exploitation and vulnerability trainers have also upskilled 19,767 workers, from a range of night time economy outlets, to spot signs of exploitation.
PCC Campion said: “People want to feel safe where they live and not fear that items they have worked hard for are at risk of being stolen. As Commissioner, supporting this initiative, and the incredibly valuable work the team does, is part of my commitment to building a safer West Mercia.
“It is great to see so many people, homes and businesses have benefited from the work of ‘We Don’t Buy Crime’ in such a short space of time, especially considering the challenges we have all faced during this pandemic.”
Insp Ram Aston of West Mercia Police, who leads on ‘We Don’t Buy Crime’, said: “Independent academic research has found that there is a significant reduction in crime in ‘We Don’t Buy Crime’ areas, and just as importantly residents feel safer and more reassured.
“The number of homes now protected is fantastic and we will look to increase this even more.”
