THE BLOXIDGE TALLYGRAPH

Chief Constable Chris Sims and PC Scott Clift at Bloxwich Police Station (Picture courtesy Walsall Police)

Dateline: 8 October 2009

West Midlands Police is commencing a programme of change designed to shape local policing for the future, intended to enable them to serve communities more efficiently and effectively.

'Programme Paragon' will see the force moving away from the emphasis on performance targets and concentrating on improving public confidence. At the heart of proposed change is responding to local needs.

Police say they will strive to deliver first class policing with the goal of protecting communities from harm by terrorism, guns and gangs as well as serious organised crime.  They plan to continue developing neighbourhood policing, retaining strong community links. The programme is designed to fundamentally reform the culture of the organisation and reshape the nature of its relationships, placing greater emphasis on working with partners and local communities.

Key changes include reducing bureaucracy, saving officers’ time so they can focus on meeting community needs.  The review will examine the structure of the force, ensuring the right staff are in the right places. This may involve structural change and the current number of 21 operational command units (OCU) is likely to change in the next few months.

Work has already begun on merging Walsall Borough’s OCU’s in Walsall and Bloxwich into a more efficient Walsall Local Policing Unit (LPU) within borough boundaries.  Some functions already operate across the Borough as one, including the Public Protection Unit and the Community Safety Team.

The new LPU will be headed by a Chief Superintendent, designated Local Area Commander, supported by two Superintendents with responsibility for Local Policing and Crime. The Unit will focus on Local Policing, Partnership Working, Offender management and Public Protection, as well as improving contact and communications with residents.

It is not known at this stage where the local command unit will be based. That said, all six stations covering the borough of Walsall will remain operational and there will be no change in the response and service the public receive.

Chief Constable Mr Chris Sims said in a recent address “Paragon will reform the culture of the organisation and reshape the nature of our relationships with local communities. Changes were necessary to ensure that the force provided the highest level of service, against a backdrop of tightened public sector finance”.  He went on, “The focus on the new LPUs would be entirely centred on improving trust and confidence – and there would be a move away from ‘measuring’ crime rates.”

Mr Kevin Bullas, Chief Superintendent at Walsall said “This is a fantastic opportunity to shape our policing style today to improve delivery for tomorrow”.

Planning is now well underway for Walsall with a target of full implementation by 2010.

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