WEST Mercia’s Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion has promised to ensure people feel safe after being re-elected into his role.
The Conservative incumbent bucked the national trend last Friday by being re-elected as West Mercia’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), despite Worcester opting to go for Labour candidate Richard Overton.
Mr Campion was re-elected as the area’s PCC with 73,395 votes, just over 10,000 more than Mr Overton.
Mr Campion’s victory announcement came around an hour after it was revealed he’d lost Worcester to Mr Overton by 1,857 votes.
Liberal Democrat candidate Sarah Murray finished in third in the overall standings with 33,782 votes.
Henry Curteis, representing the English Democrats, won 21,645 votes and the Green Party’s Julian Green won 22,021 votes.
A total of 21.72 per cent of the electorate turned out for the PCC election across the entirety of West Mercia, while 34 per cent of those eligible to vote for the area’s police chief exercised that right in Worcester.
Last week’s result was Mr Campion’s second re-election to the role he first stepped into in 2016.
His official swearing-in will take place in the coming weeks.
Mr Campion’s campaign focused on fighting crime, supporting victims and putting policing back in the heart of communities.
He said: “I would like to thank communities across the three counties who have once again put their trust in me to deliver a Safer West Mercia.
“I am proud of what I have achieved as your PCC over the last eight years, but I know there’s much more that needs to be done.
“My promise is a simple one, to work hard to ensure you are safe and feel safe.
“Committed to putting your voice at the heart of policing, I will build on the significant investment I have made and will continue to support and challenge your police force to deliver on your policing priorities.”
