Police Sector Meeting

West Midlands Police do have what is termed Sector Consultative Meetings and on Wednesday the 17th March 2004 an invited membership will meet at Wednesfield Area Housing Office to discuss the Sectors performance. This meeting will start at 18.00.

Sadly the calling notice was only sent out on the 12th March and it is feasible that those invited will find it difficult to attend. Yet there is much to discuss about police performance and the general response that the public expect from its community police force.

Councillor Phil Bateman said “The police are generally well accepted by the population in Wednesfield North. They are very well represented by the local beat officers. Who provide a good service when they are on the beat and active in the area?

Yet while Wednesfield North is 17th out of 20 Wards in the League table of electoral Wards for crime according to the latest figures available July-Sept 03. The fact is that we have crept up two places from 19th and seen crime rise by 8.75%. Which is not good when all my constituents want to see evidence that crime is being driven down?

There is of course some good news in these latest figures Burglary a hateful crime and one feared by many has shown a reduction of incidents. Drug offences are minimal with just 1 offence recorded.

• Burglary -55%
• Robbery +50%
• Violence Against the Person +30%
• Criminal Damage + 10%
• Sex Offences +66%
• Drugs 1

But many will feel uneasy at the fact that Robbery Violence and Criminal damage within Wednesfield North has increased even if the figures they are based on is basically low. These types of crime are very much areas of concern.

The police though cannot do it all on their own, they do need help from the community. There should be more Neighbourhood Watch schemes within the community. I hope that the police and the City Council will embark upon a marketing drive to encourage the setting up of new groups to help drive crime out of our neighbourhoods.

I also hope that the City Council or the West Midlands Police can find away of financing the good work that Ashmore Park Police Liaison Committee does. It is funded wholly by the organisers and with a bit of imagination and finance the Committee could do much more on this important Housing Estate.

I am looking forward to the meeting and to hear how the Police are going to reduce crime in our City and here in Wednesfield North.”