The policing watchdog has effectively placed West Midlands Police into special measures, saying the force is not carrying out its investigations effectively or managing the risk to the public by sex offenders [more via BBC News].
Responding to this, former West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner candidate Jay Singh-Sohal has issued the following statement:
“It’s deeply concerning, but not surprising, that the policing watchdog has finally placed West Midlands Police (WMP) into special measures.
“This is long overdue as there have been consistent failures at the top of our regions policing which campaigners such as I have highlighted, that could have been addressed with stronger leadership and effective oversight.
“It provides a much-needed reality check about the Labour Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) inability to enact a policing plan that gets crime down as well as his ineffectiveness, perhaps reluctance, to hold the previous Chief Constable to account.
“I accept the current Chief Constables view that today’s decision is down to issues that occurred before his time and under the previous Chiefs operating model which was stubbornly focused on centralisation at Lloyd House rather than the communities where crime is occuring.
“It has long been my view that the previous Chief bears much responsibility for the state WMP finds itself in today; he was far too political, far too chummy with Labour PCCs who were meant to hold him to account, and more interested in developing his personal brand on blogs and social media rather than engaging people in communities such as mine affected by crime.
“I do believe the current Chief Craig Guildford has what it takes to turn the force around by enacting the recommendations the watchdog requires and reassuring residents that both the culture of policing and police operations are changing for the better.
“But this change requires better governance and strategic oversight, which has not come from the Labour PCC. He has simply failed to do the job he was elected to do. He has proven to be an invisible man who rather stays within his comfort zone of playing politics, repeating simple sound bites and shirking responsibility by blaming others for the forces’ failures.
“The PCC is not capable of being a man of action to pursue the ‘significant improvements’ that the watchdog now calls for.
“It’s becoming clearer every day that the merger of the PCCs’ role into the West Midlands Mayoralty is just the tonic our region needs, and I look forward to the focus this would bring to tackling issues of concern to residents and the policing watchdog alike.”
Ends.
Jay Singh-Sohal 