'Victims have a very real experience' - Staffordshire Commissioner voices concern over public view of police
Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams says there is a ‘disconnect’ between local people’s view of the police – and how well they are actually performing. Just 41 per cent of Staffordshire respondents told the Crime Survey for England and Wales that the police are doing a good or excellent job, compared to 49 per cent nationally.
Staffordshire Police had the third lowest score in the country, with only the West Midlands and Gwent forces doing worse in this category. But Mr Adams, the Police, Fire and Crime commissioner for Staffordshire, believes that this does not reflect the current reality of policing in the county – suggesting that some people’s views are being influenced by national news stories and ‘misinformation’.
He told the police, fire and crime panel that local surveys indicated that victims of crime in Staffordshire believe the force is getting better. A survey carried out by Staffordshire County Council in 2024/25 showed that 71.7 per cent of crime victims had a positive view of the police after contact with officers, up from 58.7 per cent over the previous 12 months.
Last year, Staffordshire Police was taken out of special measures after making improvements to investigations and the way it deals with the public – although inspectors said that further improvements were still needed.
Mr Adams said: “The survey shows some real progress over the last two or three years, which I’m really pleased with. The experience of victims is probably my primary concern.
“There are a lot of people who have views about policing, and thank goodness they don’t need to call the service for help. Quite often those views are informed by other means – national news stories and even the dissemination of misinformation. But victims have a very real experience.”
According to the Staffordshire survey, 83.3 per cent of victims felt they were kept informed about the investigation, up from 75.1 per cent previously, while 84.3 per cent were satisfied with the way their incident was investigated, up from 80.1 per cent. Mr Adams raised concerns that if people lack confidence in the police and are overly fearful of crime in their area, it will impact on the local economy.
He added: “We have a disconnect in Staffordshire. For me, over the next 12 months that is absolutely my priority. I cannot bear the idea of people not going to the park, not going to the pub, not going to do whatever they want to do, for fear of something that they should not be fearful of.
“I will be asking partners to step up and share accurate information about crime and anti-social behaviour in Staffordshire. Because otherwise people’s lives are affected, and we don’t attract the investment that we should.”
