More CCTV to focus on crime-plagued West Midlands hotspots

Cameras will be up and running in parts of Wolverhampton in a bid to clamp down on burglary, robbery and vehicle theft, the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has said.

It comes after the city council received £247,602 in Government cash from the safer streets fund. Other recipients of the £18.3 million fund include Staffordshire (£432,000), West Mercia (£863,185) and Birmingham (£432,000).

Commenting on the funding for Wolverhampton, West Midlands PCC Simon Foster said: "It is good to see we’ve been able to secure some additional money to make small, but not insignificant, improvements to our streets.

“We know there are simple things that can be done to prevent crime and, working with the council, we intend to use this money to do them.

"We’ll tighten security where we think it can be tighter and we’ll make sure CCTV is fitted in crime hotspots."

Wolverhampton South West MP Stuart Anderson said: "In my recent safer neighbourhoods’ survey, I found that constituents want to see more done to tackle speeding, traffic issues, and anti-social behaviour.

"This fund will help us to crack down on these issues and make our city a safer place to live in, work, and visit. I will continue to work with our key partners to ensure that these issues are effectively dealt with."

Problem areas

Birmingham's cash looks set to be directed at the crime-riddled neighbourhood of Stockland Green in Erdington.

Councillor John Cotton, Birmingham City Council’s cabinet member for community safety, said: "This is very welcome news and will be a real boost to our efforts to tackle anti-social behaviour and support the local community.

"The council will be working closely with residents, the PCC and the police to make sure this extra money helps to deliver a safer neighbourhood for everyone who lives or works in Stockland Green."

West Mercia PCC John Campion says £431,185 of his funding will be used to tackle crime on the Greenlands estate in Redditch.

The cash will fund new street lighting, better door and window locks on targeted buildings, extra gates and fencing, and upgraded CCTV.

Mr Campion said: “I am committed to seeing that our communities don’t have to face the fear of crime, or have their lives blighted by the actions of others – they should feel safe where they live.

"Through this funding we will be able to deliver a number of simple measures and initiatives that will have a huge impact.”

Staffordshire PCC Ben Adams said the cash would be used to invest in security measures in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.

He said: "This investment is more important than ever before. We’re working together with partners to attract shoppers, workers and visitors to the city centre and preventing robbery and vehicle crime will help us do this.

"The pandemic has hit most businesses hard, and many have not survived. Reducing crime and the fear of crime is vital to the city centre’s recovery and the wider regeneration of Stoke-on-Trent.

"This investment and the improvement work carried out aim to instil a greater sense of pride and respect leading to an environment where crime and anti-social behaviour are not accepted and actively challenged."