West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson has issued his annual Police and Crime Plan – ‘Pride in our Police.’ The plan details the force’s priorities and how he will be holding the Chief Constable to account to deliver them.
Headline features of the new plan include for the first time a focus on driving economic development in the region and a fresh push to reduce accidents on our roads, which are the biggest killers of young people.
In addition to which the Commissioner is making sure that the Police are dealing with new threats and tackling previously ‘hidden crimes’ such as domestic abuse, hate crime and child sexual exploitation.
The law requires every Police and Crime Commissioner to have a Police and Crime Plan, and specifies that the Plan must include information on the policing to be provided, and the Commissioner’s police and crime objectives.
The plan is a comprehensive document that lists all of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s priorities and plans for the next year.
Notable features of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s plan are to:
- Reduce crime and tackle gang-related behaviour. We will particularly focus on reducing violent crime.
- Continue to lead the way on stop and search, making sure that it is a proportionately and effectively used.
- Continue to be an accountable force, and will seek to maintain its place as the most accurate recorders of crime in the country.
- Improve victims services’ by the introduction of the country’s first Victims Commission.
- Continue to use the Commissioner’s Mental Health Champion to improve links with the health service and local authorities to improve the policing of people with mental health related issues. People facing a mental health crisis will no longer be transported in police cars or end up in police cells.
- Focus on improving the safety of the region’s transport.
- Focus on keeping traffic on our roads moving safely, which will drive down the number of deaths on our roads and improve our economic output.
- Support economic development by tackling the crimes that puts off inward investment and make sure that West Midlands Police is a responsible living wage employer, which procures locally whenever possible.
- Reduce re-offending rates by working with employers to get people into work rather than committing crimes and creating more victims.
- Prevent and detect previously hidden crimes like domestic abuse, hate crime and child sexual exploitation.
- Respond to the challenges of austerity by protecting valued services, whilst also meeting the new needs and expectations that the public have on a 21st century police force.
- Continue to play our role in responding to local and national threats, including terrorism and cyber-crime.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said,
“This plan is a comprehensive document that sets out our key priorities of tackling crime and keeping people safe. I will use the plan to hold the Chief Constable to account to deliver them.
“I have made economic development a key priority and will make sure that the police prioritise reducing crimes that put-off inward investment and ultimately cost jobs and reduce the prosperity of our region.
“Keeping our roads moving safely and reducing the number of victims, not only cuts down on the horrible human cost of accidents, but is good for the economy as well. Each death on our roads cost £1.7 million on average.
“We have increased the number of officers working in public protection from 300 to 800 officers. We will make sure that crimes like child sexual exploitation do not stay hidden.
“This is my policing plan for the year. It is a deliverable plan that will make sure that we are cracking down on traditional crimes like burglary and muggings, but also working to prevent new threats such as cyber-crime and online fraud.
“This plan will mean that victims get a better deal, re-offending will be reduced and ultimately the West Midlands will be a safer place to live and work.”
The West Midlands Police and Crime Plan can be found here
