PCC ‘pleased with the action taken’ to ensure sustained improvements at West Midlands Police

The Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, says he’s pleased with the action taken to ensure sustained improvements have been made at West Midlands Police in the last 7 months.

Simon Foster’s comments come after His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services said it no longer has concerns around three of the four areas it had been monitoring at the force since its inspection in 2023.

In December, inspectors (HMICFRS) placed West Midlands Police into ‘engage’ status, effectively meaning it was in Special Measures, regarding four causes of concern.

At the time it was concerned about how effectively the force was investigating crime, keeping vulnerable people safe and managing the risk posed by sex offenders and online child abuse offenders.

The report was a matter the Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, said he was treating with the ‘utmost seriousness and as a top priority’.

Since then the PCC has been very clear, that he was committed to holding West Midlands Police to account and working with the Chief Constable, HMICRS and other relevant partners to address the four causes of concern and to ensure the people of the West Midlands receive the service from West Midlands Police that they are entitled to.

Today (Tuesday 23^rd July), the independent inspectors have written to the force to say it has seen ‘sustained improvements’ in three of the four areas. It says it is no longer concerned about the force’s ability to keep vulnerable people safe or its management of the risk posed by sex offenders or online child abuse offenders.

It has said there is one cause for concern remaining. This relates to how effective West Midlands Police carries out investigations.

Action has been taken, is being taken and will continue to be taken, to address this cause of concern and HMICFRS will review the force’s progress later this year.

Reacting to the news, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, said: “This is a matter I have treated with the utmost seriousness and as a top priority.
 
“I have been committed to holding West Midlands Police to account and working with the Chief Constable, HMICFRS and other relevant partners to ensure the action was taken to address the four causes of concern. 

“I am pleased that, as a consequence of the action taken, HMICFRS has acknowledged sustained improvements in the force’s performance, regarding three of the four causes of concern. I will continue to hold West Midlands Police to account, to ensure sustained improvements in the investigation of crime.

“I am committed to constant and unremitting action, to ensure the people of the West Midlands receive the service from West Midlands Police, that they are entitled to.”