SATISFACTION in the levels of policing in Herefordshire is the highest in West Mercia - according to the latest perceptions survey run by the Police and Crime Commissioner.

At the heart of Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion’s Safer Communities Plan is a focus on ensuring police officers are visible and accessible in the communities they serve.

The majority of residents in the county (63 per cent) are satisfied with the number of police, with a four per cent increase in the number of respondents who say they see a police community support officer or police officer at least once a week (18 per cent).

Herefordshire residents are also the most confident in West Mercia’s three counties that they will receive a good service from the force at 76 per cent.

However, this is a four per cent drop from the same period in 2024.

Other findings include:

· Only 47 per cent feel informed about what the force is doing in their local area.

· 91 per cent of those surveyed feel their community is safe.

· The number of respondents who felt antisocial behaviour was not much or a problem, if at all, has increased from 83 per cent to 86 per cent.

Mr Campion said: “Whilst police officer numbers are at a record high in West Mercia, the impact of this should be felt and seen in local communities.

“It’s clear Herefordshire communities are more likely to feel those benefits, but I am committed to ensuring the current level of satisfaction in Herefordshire isn’t a ceiling but a foundation from which to build further.

“One of the ways I believe we can improve a sense of policing with the community is by harnessing the channels available to the force, such as social media and neighbourhood matters to amplify the work taking place in local communities.”