You may have seen today’s announcement from the government about their investment in neighbourhood policing. We wanted to share how that will improve our neighbourhood policing here in Coventry.

Following the government's announcement today, the Chief Constable who successfully bid to the Home Office for 150 extra officers with the support of the PCC is now pushing on with recruitment.

He intends to deploy all 150 new posts across Neighbourhood Policing which is good news for all our communities.

In the meantime we are developing a new approach to ensure communities across the region benefit fully from the extra officers once they are recruited.

Changes which will take place later this year include dedicated neighbourhood policing officers who will be working almost exclusively on their Wards to help us keep reducing crime and ASB.

In addition the Chief Constable has secured an additional 20 PCSO’s who will be recruited imminently.

All these extra locally-based officers will play a crucial role in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour at a community level and we recognise how important this is to those who live, work and visit the area.

In line with the government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, every ward across the West Midlands will have a named police officer. These officers will focus on three key areas:

• Problem-solving – tackling persistent local issues through long-term solutions

• Targeted activity – proactive interventions to address crime and disorder

• Community engagement – building relationships and ensuring residents have a say in policing

Each named officer will be supported by a team of neighbourhood officers and will act as a local expert, with in-depth knowledge of their area’s challenges and the skills to proactively resolve problems.

The extra money also enables West Midlands Police to deliver additional specialist training for all our neighbourhood officers. This will enhance officers’ problem-solving skills and their ability to support communities effectively.

Chief Constable Craig Guildford said: “I really welcome the government’s announcement to enable us to further boost the service we offer to local people. Crime continues to fall across West Midlands Police and these extra officers will be actively involved in reducing it further by preventing crime and bringing those who choose to harm communities to justice.

“We launched Operation Fearless in Erdington earlier this year, this responsive initiative has directly addressed community concerns about local crime and safety. It has embodied the essence of effective neighbourhood policing with a newly-recruited team of 20 dedicated officers increasing visible patrols in crime hotspots. We will be building on its success as we grow in number.