Trouble-shooting wardens off streets
All of Wolverhampton's crime-busting wardens have been taken off the streets for three weeks to take part in a training course, the Express & Star can reveal.
All of Wolverhampton's crime-busting wardens have been taken off the streets for three weeks to take part in a training course, the Express & Star can reveal.
The city's 11 street wardens were sent on courses last Tuesday, leaving Wolverhampton without a single warden for the first time since the service started up back in 2000.
Critics today said they "found it very strange" that the wardens are being removed from the streets just as British Summer Time arrives, leaving the city more vulnerable to anti-social-behaviour.
As the Express & Star reported last month, the city lost five wardens in January when they took voluntary redundancy, leaving it with the lowest number in years.
The wardens, who are funded by taxpayers, go out to reassure residents, pass on information to the police, identify litter and graffiti hotspots and liaise with police officers.
Bilston North Labour councillor Phil Page said today: "I find it very strange that they all took off at once, instead of having some stay on the streets just to provide that reassurance.
"We've got lighter evenings now and no warden has been spotted since they all left. I just can't see what the point is, of removing them without thinking of the impact it could have."
The city council is slashing £40 million from the budget over the next two years, but has provided funding to allow Wolverhampton to have 30 wardens during the next municipal year. All of the new wardens will get permanent contracts rather than the short-term ones on offer last year.
The authority today said the course was designed to prepare the team for the new working structure due to come into place, that will see them moved around the city into different areas more often.
Council chiefs say the course is being delivered in one three-week period so every warden re-starts work at the exact same point in their career development, rather than holding some back until a later date.
Tory councillor John Pask, group spokesman for neighbourhoods and community safety, said: "There is a course taking place. I went to Heath Town community centre last Wednesday to give a speech and that kicked it off.
"I've been briefed about it and the new structure that we will have in place makes sense to me – the service will be improved."
From May the city's wardens will be expected to cover areas where they are not usually spotted, like Tettenhall Wightwick, Finchfield and Castlecroft.
Up until now they tended to work in groups of two or three around 'hotspot' crime areas like Bilston, Low Hill, Graiseley and Whitmore Reans, but the new recruits will be more flexible.
Once all 30 wardens are in place it will give Wolverhampton its highest ever number of wardens.
