Policing; Building Safer Communities Together

The West Midlands Police Authority and the Government wants to consult with electors over the type of police force that is in operation here in the West Midlands County and across the United Kingdom.. They are also asking questions about how the community can be engaged better.

Councillor Phil Bateman, said today, "I am posting my response to this Consultation request on this my personal web site. This is my response to the request. The consultation has until January 27th when the Government will then close the process.

Accountability is an important issue and the current arrangements that have an appointed Police Authority is not an easy and transparent method for the public to easily be able to identify the democratic representation that they have. This in turn leads to confusion as to how the public can make representation when there are concerns about policy direction and funding decisions.

I am keen to see directly elected Police Authorities, which would allow Police Authority members more authority,and would allow them to be more identifiable within their community, and more accountable for the decisions they take on our behalf.

The current arrangements allow the Police Authority to act in a very invisible way, and the community is confused about who is in real charge of the policy and spending arrangements.

There is a poor telephone service that is currently in use by the Police in the West Midlands County, it appears to be very patchy, and it certainly has little confidence with the general public. Local meetings in Wednesfield North regularly report that members of the public are unhappy with the poor response they receive when they make non-emergency telephone calls.

Wednesfield North has a very enthusiastic Police Liaison Committee in operation on Ashmore Park it encompasses the local beat. It is a very important committee for engaging with the Police. It is without doubt a very important body, that allows a two way flow of information to take place, between the public in the Beat Officers area, and the community that the Police Beat Officers work in. This Model on Ashmore Park works very well, and should be mirrored in all other Beat's. This would allow a better understanding of the pressures that the Police locally, are working within. Also it is a great sounding board for all sorts of information relating to criminality locally.

Sadly there are other Police Beats that are within Wednesfield North that would benefit from a similar approach but do not have the infrastructure in place, and are unlikely to unless there is an enthusiastic response from the West Midlands Police to set up the arrangements.

Nevertheless West Midlands Police should look closely at how the success of the Ashmore Park Police Liaison Committee works.

Clearly partnership working with the community is a very important facet of any policing policy. I welcome the fact that Crime Reduction Partnerships are important and work, I would like to see these continue.

I would like to see enhanced pay for local police constables who have a very valuable role within the community. It appears that the rewords within the force is all about promotion. But within our communities a safe and coherent community is what many members of the public strive for. Rewards should be made to conscientious police officers that want to stay and work with the community keeping it safe, seeing it grow and prosper enhancing the community and protecting the neighbourhood from crime.

Many communities like to see the Police on their streets or have a place that they can visit where they know that there is a police presence. Wednesfield North has long called for the return of the Police Station they had up until the 1960's when it was axed. The community believe that having the Police regularly placed within the Ward, is a must. If the Police Authority continue to ignore these requests it will also continue to alienate many who feel that large HQ type buildings help to foster the remoteness that the force seem to promote.

Some elements of crime needs to be addressed, the fear of the growing drug culture within the City and the perceived, growth in gun crime really is impacting on the public. A regional Police Authority looking and dealing with crime that has national or international connotations should be considered. But again their should be democratic representation. There should be a directly elected body to democratically deliver this type of service.

On drugs there is a concern that the smoking of cannabis is being accepted by the police, this is a very strong issue. The public do not like it and they are concerned that 'smoking drugs' on places like buses is not receiving the police response that it should.

With my strong links with the transit industry I do recognise the good job the police do in this area, but there is a requirement for a 'transit unit' to help deliver a better service. Over the Christmas period a partnership in Birmingham with the Police the bus operators and Pupil Watch has proven to be very successful in fighting crime. This approach with a designated 'Transit Unit' be considered a success and implemented over the whole County area."

Councillor Bateman is a Member of Wolverhampton City Council he represents Wednesfield North on the City Council.