Did you know Coventry is the 11th biggest city in England? It’s bigger than Belfast and Newcastle upon Tyne and across the pond St Louis, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh in the USA. We all know that right? I’m not so sure. We are a force with three large cities in Birmingham and Wolverhampton too. In any other force Coventry would be the biggest city!

Given the geography of the force it’s quite possible you may never have even been there. However If you are from Cov you are, quite rightly, proud of the place.

In 2021 the rest of the country is going to get excited about the city because Coventry is the UK City of Culture.

This is a massive opportunity for West Midlands Police. I want to explain why this is important and get us thinking about how we maximise this opportunity. I want to do this now as in July we’ll see the tempo of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games pick up and it’s important we max out on Coventry first!

Coventry is a vibrant,...

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This week is Diversity and Inclusion week and brings together a number of activities.

Two weeks ago we released the results of the Big Conversation, our staff survey, and indeed we released every result for every department for everyone to see. I am very pleased with the number of staff that took part. 53% of staff completing it is a very high rate of completion for any internal survey. I cannot help be pleased that 75% of those who took part say they love their job.

You may have noticed we have not come out with a force response; that is deliberate. You will see through Team Talk we want you all to discuss this and identify key things your team think are important to concentrate on. That’s exactly what we as an Exec Team are doing. The survey is the start of a conversation, so join in the debate! In the next few weeks we will be sharing the details of the innovation fund so your ideas on how to improve how things have the opportunity to access some cash.

In terms of the Executive Team a few...

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A week is a long time in politics but it can be a lifetime in policing. There is a lot going on at the moment so I wanted to recap on a few things.

HMICFRS PEEL inspection of the force 2018

This was released at the start of the month and rated the force as good overall. The only two areas that have detracted from this were a backlog in vetting and our management of vulnerability in calls. While there are areas to improve here and some very good work going on, our challenge is pretty clear. Staff are having to manage extremely high levels of demand that we do not have the resources to send to. We are being marked on our ability to juggle very high risk and demand.

As an example the report showed WMP call levels. WMP is about 4.9% of policing spend but we are 7.2% of 999 calls and 6% of 101 and that’s often how most aspects of demand reflect.

We generally account for more of our national share of policing than we receive in funding. I think it is to the credit of everyone that our call handling performance is so very good...

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Last week I called the murder of three teenage boys in Birmingham a local emergency. This week murders in London and Manchester made this a national crisis. On Wednesday I joined other Chiefs at a meeting with the Home Secretary to discuss our response which was a very positive, energised meeting.

Meanwhile you have been working incredibly hard. From the staff investigating these crimes to officers carrying out searches in often difficult circumstances. I commend you all for stepping up to the challenge of protecting young people.

The citywide section 60 needed to send out a message: carrying weapons has become too frequent and people will be searched to protect our children. I think the message has been sent out loudly and clearly and has created some disruption. From today (Friday 8 March) our strategy will evolve.

The citywide section 60 will end but in parts of Birmingham it will continue as we have areas where we still need to keep at this. We will not be waiting for new intelligence or an incident to...

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This last week has been one of the most violent and tragic weeks I have seen in my police service. The violence and the loss of young lives has scarred families and communities across the region and specifically in parts of Birmingham. My thoughts are foremost to the families suffering this huge loss.

Chief Constable David Thompson

We have seen six murders over the last two weeks. It is important to say these are very varied and the offending, while having tragic results, did not in most of these cases bring danger to the streets or a broader public threat. The number has simply been chance and has some very specific circumstances.

The murders of Sidali Mohammed, Abdullah Muhammad and Hazat Umar are very different. They are part of a broader picture of violent knife crimes involving young people we have seen in Birmingham, our region and indeed in many of our cities across the country. I am sure parents and young people have been very scared by these events.

While these matters are pending proceedings or under investigation they...

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The last few weeks have seen many reasons to feel pride in the force. Some incredibly sad, some exciting.

PCSO Holly Burke’s tragic death has touched a great many of us because of its sudden nature and the fact it happened during a police operation. It has been hugely tough for colleagues and those involved in the case. I was pleased to see a significant turn out at her funeral from colleagues.

No less loved was PC Rakesh Sond who also sadly died. Again colleagues attending to show their love and support. Sad times often unify us.

Chief Constable David Thompson

Last week we saw the launch of the National Sikh Police Association here in the West Midlands. The new national association has been born out of our own Sikh Police Association who have used the great work they have done here to stimulate work across the country and now a new staff network. It was an inspiring day. Staff networks are vital for our force. They not only advocate for under-represented groups but they also invest huge time in bridging the links between the...

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I think it appropriate to share my view on this case.

Mr Burrell’s death takes place in a context. This shapes how we view any story and it is different for all of us, as are the emotions that this case generates.

Chief Constable David Thompson

I make no challenge on the validity of anyone’s views of the context of this story as this is based on their values, views and life experience.

It is for this reason my reflections begin with some facts.

Mr Burrell should not have died.

Both the NHS and West Midlands Police owed him a duty of care. He was very unwell.

Mr Burrell was not detained by the police on the day of his death for policing matters. Officers went to Mary Seacole House on the 30^th March 2011, the NHS premises where he was held under the Mental Health Act, at the request of NHS staff because they could not control him, as well as concerns about threats to NHS staff and self-harm. The officers placed him under restraint and then took him with NHS staff to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment and he was then...

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I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and a Happy New Year. I enjoyed getting out to see some of you before Christmas and last night, New Year’s Eve. This festive period sees me turn the big 50. They say it’s the new forty and that caffeine products can help thicken the hair. I am drinking plenty of it so let’s see!

A few things before I talk about 2019…

First, thank you for the work on the performance plan. I am pleased to see reductions in outstanding logs and improved response times. This really matters and a real team effort is going into this. I am very pleased to see a reduction in firearms discharges too. The levels of positive outcomes on burglary and robbery is rising and there are some outstanding jobs in this area.

Our big challenge remains dropping the number of burglary and robbery crimes. Vehicles remain a huge part of this problem. There is terrific work underway with Operation Cantil but we all need to work harder on every bit of the process. Getting initial attendance and...

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In the last few weeks there has been a great deal of internal and external discussion on diversity in the force. The Birmingham Mail/Live article on promotions, Ali Layne Smith’s blog and the Diversity and Inclusion discussions at the Lead2Achieve events. I suspect there will be further external coverage on a recent input at Force Leadership Conference on the concept of “whiteness” where senior leaders heard from a leading academic about how ingrained certain norms are in our society. It was a challenging input designed to encourage senior leaders to reflect how we work and what we can do to make a fairer and more inclusive force.

We are strengthening our diversity and inclusion work because West Midlands Police does not treat everyone fairly. We are not representative of the communities we face and underrepresented groups often have a different experience working in the force and in receiving our services. A more representative force creates legitimacy, more diversity of thought and ultimately a better police...

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I want to use this blog to ensure you get a clear view from me on where the force is.

The last few weeks has seen a great deal going on nationally, and in force, and I want to help put this in context.

The financial position of policing nationally is coming to a critical juncture.

The National Audit Office (NAO) Report on Police Financial Sustainability 2018 largely says policing is showing the strain of austerity which is falling unevenly. As the graph shows, West Midlands Police has suffered disproportionately.

The real criticism in the report is that the Home Office does not really understand the impact of budget reductions. Police and Crime Commissioners, unlike bodies like health service trusts, always have to set a balanced budget.

We balance, but are cutting services to fit in the envelope.

On the 25th October the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee produced its Policing for the Future report. It echoes much of the NAO report but is more strident in its criticism of a “hands off” approach by government, a funding problem and...

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