The following is a message from the Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster:
“A Happy New Year to each and every one of you. I trust you have enjoyed the festivities with your families, loved ones and friends. The beginning of a new year is a time of reflection and 2025 has been as busy a year as any that preceded it.
For an insight into just some of my activities over the year, you can check out the News Section on my website: News – West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner (westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk)
I launched my new Police and Crime Plan 2025-2029. If you have not had an opportunity to do so, I encourage you to take a look. A link to the Plan is here: West-Midlands-Police-and-Crime-Plan-2025-2029-Final.pdf. The Plan deals with the entire spectrum of policing, crime, community safety and criminal justice.
However, 3 of my top priorities are continuing to re-build community policing; preventing and tackling violence, including youth violence, knife crime and violence against women and girls; and improving road and travel safety.
I appointed Natalie Queiroz as Victims Advocate for the West Midlands. We are working together, to ensure the rights and welfare of victims of crime, are always at the forefront of policing and the criminal justice system.
WMP is achieving and delivering against the odds. Despite my investing of a record level £175 million in 2025/26, the force remains under-funded and under-resourced. However, it remains one of the best in the country when answering both 999 and 101 calls. Response times have improved; arrest rates have increased; more offenders are being brought to justice; and crime is being cut across communities.
Total police recorded crime in the West Midlands has reduced by 5%, including decreases in many crime types, including burglary, robbery, vehicles, neighbourhood, homicide, youth violence and knife crime. That is testament to the commitment, dedication and hard work of police officers and police staff.
Both our Violence Reduction Partnership and I have continued to invest in prevention, early intervention, diversion and addressing the underlying causes of crime, to prevent crime happening in the first place.
Looking ahead to 2026, I will build on the achievements in 2025 and deliver on the commitments set out in my Police and Crime Plan. I will continue to hold West Midlands Police to account, on behalf of the people and communities of the West Midlands. That includes:
- Preventing and tackling crime
- Continuing to re-build community policing with my Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee
- Tackling violence, in particular VAWG, youth violence and knife crime
- Reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads
- Improving the investigation of crime
- Bringing more offenders to justice
- Ensuring compliance with the Victims’ Code
- Commissioning high quality victim support services
West Midlands Police are already seriously short changed, compared with the vast majority of other police forces in the country. By April 2026, we expect to still have at least 520 fewer police officers than in 2010 and a national funding formula that leaves us £43 million short every year.
However, the vast majority of other police forces in the country now have as many police officers as they had in 2010, if not more police officers than they have ever had in their force histories. That is deeply unfair to the people of the West Midlands.
I will maintain my campaign for the return of our 520 police officers and fair funding, including dedicated investment for violence prevention and reduction, County Lines and victim support services. I will continue to call for all West Midlands MPs to support my campaign.
On behalf of myself, my Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Wasim Ali, my Victims Advocate, Natalie Queiroz, and our Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and Violence Reduction Teams, here is to a safe, secure and happy 2026. I wish you, your family and loved ones all the very best for the year ahead.
I will continue to commit myself to constant and unremitting action and do all within my power to deliver on the aims and objectives set out in my Police and Crime Plan, to prevent and tackle crime and keep the people and communities of the West Midlands safe and secure.
Simon Foster
Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands”
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