Hundreds arrested in West Midlands high street crime crackdown
Winter of Action crackdown resulted in over 280 arrests across the West Midlands region
The ‘Winter of Action’ crackdown on local crime in the West Midlands has been hailed as a success by Police and Community Safety Partnerships.
The surge in activity, which saw more than 280 arrests, was part of a national Home Office initiative.
It targeted the issues that matter to local communities: retail theft, anti-social behaviour (ASB) and drug-related crime across 34 locations in Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
West Midlands PCC Simon Foster, who launched the policing operation in December, said: “This Winter of Action has sent a clear message: we will not tolerate crime and anti-social behaviour that strips our high streets of their vitality.
“By working with partners, we haven’t just made arrests; we’ve secured long-term civil interventions and rehomed vulnerable individuals to break the cycle of offending.
“I am committed to continuing to rebuild community policing to ensure an accessible, reassuring and visible presence out on the streets, to prevent and tackle crime and anti-social behaviour and keep people, families, businesses and local communities safe and secure.”
Chief Superintendent Paul Joyce, West Midlands Police force lead for the Winter of Action, added: “The real strength of this campaign was the way the police and Community Safety Partnerships came together like never before. While our activity provided visible reassurance, it was this united front that gave the operation its weight and enabled us to tackle the root causes of local concerns.
“This was a true partnership success. We have learnt a great deal from this intensive period of collaboration, and we will be implementing those lessons into all our future initiatives to ensure we continue to make a real, lasting change in our communities.”