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Have Your Say on Policing in the West Midlands

Simon Foster, the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for the West Midlands, is inviting residents across the region to share their views on policing.

This is one of the most significant listening exercises of its kind and is designed to understand how people feel about policing, what matters most to communities, and where improvements are needed.

Over the next two years, thousands of residents across the West Midlands will be asked about their experiences, perceptions, and priorities. Your voice will directly shape the future of policing in your area. Having your say on policing is important because it ensures that decisions are shaped by the realities of people’s lives.

We want to ensure that policing reflects the concerns, expectations and needs of the communities that it serves, and help us to identify what is working well, where improvement is needed and where change is required.

Why This Matters

This survey will help build a clear and transparent picture of how policing is experienced across our communities.

The findings will:

  • Inform local policing priorities
  • Highlight what is working well
  • Identify where improvement is needed
  • Determine where change is required
  • Strengthen accountability and transparency

Importantly, this isn’t a one-off exercise. Feedback will be gathered regularly and reported quarterly, enabling the PCC to respond in real time and ensuring that policing reflects the needs of the people it serves.

What Is the Public Perceptions Survey?

The survey is a large-scale research programme led by the PCC to better understand public confidence, trust, and experiences of policing. It will be conducted face-to-face and door-to-door and it will explore:

  • Trust and confidence in policing
  • Satisfaction with police services
  • Local concerns about crime and community safety
  • Experiences of engagement with the police

How Will the Research Be Used?

Your feedback will directly influence how policing is delivered across the West Midlands.

It will help to:

  • Shape the Police and Crime Plan
  • Guide decision-making and resource allocation
  • Strengthen oversight and scrutiny
  • Ensure policing reflects real community needs

This is about putting the public voice at the heart of policing.

Who Is Carrying Out the Survey?

To ensure independence and credibility, the research is being conducted by M·E·L Research, a Birmingham-based social research organisation. Their role will be to gather views professionally and impartially, ensuring the findings reflect the real experiences of communities across the region.

How Will the Survey Be Conducted?

Researchers will carry out face-to-face interviews with households selected at random across:

  • Birmingham
  • Coventry
  • Dudley
  • Sandwell
  • Solihull
  • Walsall
  • Wolverhampton

Speaking directly with residents allows for richer, more meaningful insights than online or postal surveys alone.

Why Have I Been Selected?

It is not possible to speak to everyone, so a representative sample of households has been chosen at random, which ensures:

  • A fair and balanced range of voices
  • Inclusion of different communities and experiences
  • Reliable and meaningful results

Do I Have to Take Part?

No, taking part is entirely voluntary, however, every response helps to build a clearer picture of how policing is experienced across the West Midlands.

How Long Will It Take?

The survey takes around 15 minutes to complete.

How Can I Be Sure This Is Genuine?

All researchers will:

Your Privacy and Confidentiality

Your privacy is taken seriously.

  • All data is handled in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR
  • Personal details are not shared with any other organisation
  • Information is used only for research purposes
  • Your responses are combined with others and reported anonymously

You will never be contacted for marketing due to taking part.

Your Rights

You are in control of your information. You can:

  • Choose not to answer any question
  • Ask what information is held about you
  • Request corrections or deletion of your data

What Happens Next?

If you are selected and choose to take part:

  • You’ll be asked about policing and community safety in your local area
  • Your responses will be combined with others across the region
  • The findings will inform decisions, priorities, and accountability

A Final Word

This is your opportunity to influence how policing works in your community.

Your experiences, your concerns, and your views matter.

Thank you for taking the time to have your say.

What does the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) do in the West Midlands?

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for the West Midlands is a democratically elected representative responsible for holding West Midlands Police to account. The role is to ensure the police force is effective, efficient, and responsive to local needs.

The duties and responsibilities of a Police and Crime Commissioner are wide-ranging and extensive, but they include:

  • Setting priorities: Preparing and publishing a Police and Crime Plan that outlines regional policing priorities based on community needs.
  • Holding the police to account: Providing oversight and scrutiny of the performance of the Chief Constable and the force.
  • Managing the budget: Allocating funding and setting the police precept (the policing part of council tax).
  • Engaging with communities: Listening to residents and representing their concerns in policing decisions.
  • Commissioning services: Funding local initiatives, including victim support services and crime prevention programmes.

In short, the PCC acts as the public’s voice in policing, ensuring accountability, governance, oversight, scrutiny and that resources are used to prevent and tackle crime, promote community safety and keep the people, families, businesses and communities across the West Midlands safe and secure.