Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, has welcomed progress in the Home Office in the issues concerning crime statistics relating to incidents that happen in prisons in the Featherstone and Brinsford area and their separation from crime statistics that represent the village as a whole.
Gavin recently called on the Policing Minister to look into separating the crime statistics so they would not impact the home insurance premiums of Featherstone and Brinsford residents. Currently crimes and incidences which take place in the prisons in the area are included in the overall local statistics for Featherstone & Brinsford.
South Staffordshire has the largest prison population in the country, with over 3,000 inmates in HMP Featherstone, Oakwood and HMYOI Brinsford. As all the prisons are located in Featherstone and Brinsford, the crime figures for the area are distorted, with crimes committed by prisoners being included in the statistics
The Policing Minister has confirmed that the case has been raised in the Home Office and that, pending further evidence, the Prisons Minister will look closer into this issue.
In welcoming the progress in the case Gavin commented: “Residents in Featherstone and Brinsford were growing increasingly worried about the rising number of crimes being reported as having happened in the area, when in fact they include incidents that have taken place in the prisons.
“I am pleased that progress has been made on this and that the Prisons Minister has raised this issue in the Home Office and that further action may be taken. I will continue to apply pressure on them to seek a solution to this very serious issue for Featherstone and Brinsford residents.”