West Midlands to become 'even safer' as more officers put on the street
The region will get 150 more neighbourhood police officers
The West Midlands will become 'even safer' as 150 more neighbourhood police officers are put on the street.
It is part of the government's manifesto pledge to put 13,000 neighbourhood officers in total out on the street.
What will an increase in neighbourhood police officers mean?
The patrols will be placed in busy areas, to tackle crimes like antisocial behaviour before the crimes become more serious.
Unveiling the plan, the Prime Minister said the announcement would boost confidence and security in local communities across Britain.
"Postcode lottery"
Sir Kier Starmer also said this Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee would put an end to a policing 'postcode lottery', as the number of people who regularly see officers patrolling in their local area has halved in the past decade.
Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands, Simon Foster said: “My top priority since being elected has been to rebuild community policing across the West Midlands and these additional officers will contribute to achieving that aim.
"We need an accessible, reassuring and visible presence"
“Increasing neighbourhood police numbers is particularly important in the West Midlands because the force still has about 700 fewer police officers and 500 fewer PCSOs than we did back in 2010.
“This is despite many other forces having more police officers than they have ever had in their force history – something which is deeply unfair. This is a contribution towards righting that wrong.”
He added: “We need an accessible, reassuring and visible presence out on the streets to prevent and tackle crime, promote community safety and keep the people, families, businesses and communities of the West Midlands safe and secure.”
"Now is the time for swift action"
In her letter confirming the news, Policing Minister Diana Johnson MP said: “Neighbourhood policing is the bedrock of the British policing model.
"Yet, the number of people who have seen uniformed officers in their local area has halved in the last decade.
"Now is the time for swift action to address this, to help rebuild the connection between police and the public that is key to securing their trust and confidence," she said.