Smethwick's police base saved under new plan to retain part of building
Smethwick's police base will not close, with West Midlands Police maintaining a police presence in the town under plans agreed by Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster.
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The building, in Piddock Road, had been formally listed for closure since 2021 and was due to be sold later this year.
But West Midlands Police's chief constable Craig Guildford recommended to the PCC that part of the site be retained.
And following representations from Mr Foster, who who has legal responsibility for all West Midlands Police buildings, relatively minor alterations will now be carried out and links between the station and former courthouse will be cut, making them two separate and secure sites.
Part of the building and car park will be retained for police use with the remainder sold, while West Bromwich's police station will remain the public contact point for people to talk to officers face-to-face.
Chief Superintendent Kim Madill, responsible for policing across the whole of Sandwell, said: “This is great news for local people and our hardworking officers who have strong connections with the town.
"The decision to split the site is innovative. It allows us to maintain a base in the town, work from a smaller site that is better suited to the number of people working there and greatly reduces our running costs.
"The money raised from the sale of the surplus part of the building will be re-invested into West Midlands Police and the reduced running costs will go towards the ongoing efficiency savings to protect frontline policing.”
PCC Simon Foster said: "As part of my plans to rebuild community policing, I’m delighted to announce that having carefully examined the Chief Constable’s recommendation to partially retain Smethwick, I agree with his assessment and have authorised work to now start on splitting the building.
“Money raised from the sale of the disused wing will pay for the works with the remainder ploughed back into protecting frontline policing.
“The innovative solution means the site is more suited to the needs of officers and will not be as costly to run, meaning good value for public money.”
'The altered site will house the Smethwick neighbourhood policing team, who focus on fixing long-term problems in the town, and response officers who manage emergency incidents.
Approximately 583 crimes are recorded across the whole of Smethwick each month.
Total crime in the area is down by about 100 offences compared to the same period last year, despite the population of the town continuing to grow.
To find out more about police buildings in the West Midlands and plans for them, visit westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk
