MORE police officers will be on the beat as West Midlands Police looks to change the way it works across Coventry and Solihull.
The force says response and investigation teams will now be based at the same local police hubs as neighbourhood officers, meaning they can work more closely together to prevent and solve crime and keep people safe.
It added each local policing area (LPA) will be led by a Chief Superintendent commander who will understand the issues that matter to communities in their area and have greater control over how they use their resources to meet local needs better.
The police say it wants this new way of delivering local policing to make local areas safer, by making more arrests for violent crime, especially for domestic abuse and to work more effectively with partners, local businesses, and other agencies to reduce crime and disorder and make the streets safer.
Chief Constable Craig Guildford said: “When I joined West Midlands Police in December last year I said I wanted us to be recognised as a police service that is big enough to cope with everything that is asked of us, whilst showing we are small enough to care about the things that really matter to our communities.
“The new local policing model will help us to get better at solving local issues and preventing and solving crime by working in partnership with communities to deliver justice and keep people safe across the West Midlands.
“This is a really exciting time for us all and we hope you will see a tangible difference. It’s vitally important that you let us know how we are doing. We are keen to hear your issues, concerns and feedback so we can make sure we are addressing the right things.
“The one message that I would like people to take away is that you can expect to see more officers spending more time in your local community.”
Mr Guildford’s aims are to deliver a service for local people, build engaged communities and be an employer of choice.
The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, said: “It is absolutely essential that West Midlands Police invest in, prioritise and rebuild community policing, in order to deliver for the people of the West Midlands.
“I want to see more officers spending more time in local communities to prevent and tackle crime, build trust and confidence, police by consent, protect people and help the vulnerable.
“I remain committed to working with the Chief Constable to put 450 additional police officers into community policing, to strengthen the bonds between the public and the police, so as to proactively solve local issues before they become critical problems.”
