Jay Singh-Sohal

There is clear anger from residents in Sutton Coldfield after a “For Sale” sign appeared this week outside our police station.  This is a “call to arms” to help save our local police station.

The bottom-line up front is that we urgently need:

1. The sale to be postponed pending a public consultation.  The PCC promised one but has yet to deliver, and in now pushing ahead with a sale he is showing he cannot be trusted to do what is right for Sutton residents
2. Our Town Councillors to recall the PCC to a Council Meeting at the soonest opportunity, with residents in attendance, to question him about the sale and what plans he is making for both a police station and policing in the area
3. Our local MP to raise the issue within Parliament with the new Policing Minister, so that the new government takes residents’ concerns seriously at the highest level

** Join my campaign against the sale of Sutton Coldfield Police Station – register your interest here. **

Readers will know that I have long campaigned for policing resource in the Royal Town, it is what motivated me to run for West Midlands PCC is 2021.  Then, around 18,000 Suttonians voted for me (alongside a quarter-of-a-million more across the region), showing clear support for my plan to save our police station and get more policing resource into the Royal Town.

With your support, we pushed the issue of saving our police station to the top of the agenda, supported by our local MP Andrew Mitchell and Town Councillors including the Leader Simon Ward, and City Councillors including Richard Parkin. 

Increasing community policing was a pledge I made, and the Labour PCC opportunistically followed suit, after the election promising to review the Estates programme and to speak to residents.  After several invitations he eventually visited Sutton to speak at a Town Council meeting in March 2023.  There he stipulated that the police station would not close without an appropriate alternative being found but refused to engage with residents who have long called for a public consultation so their views may be heard.

The fact that a for sale sign has appeared outside our police station is an indicator that the PCC (who in his role is the Crown Agent responsible for police estates) has no interest in listening to Sutton Coldfield residents’ concerns nor in delivering on his promise to increase community policing in our area (although he is proud of doing so in areas where there are Labour MPs , even going so far as to refurbish and reopen the dilapidated police station in Quinton).

The issue of policing in Sutton Coldfield is two-fold.  Firstly, ensuring we have a fit-for-purpose police station, to act as a local hub for the growing Royal Town area within which more than 100,000 people reside.  Secondly, to ensure we have appropriate policing resource locally, to tackle the issues that seem to be on the rise (vehicle theft, burglary, anti-social behaviour in particular). 

This is important for Sutton Coldfield, which is an affluent area diversifying with many more young families moving in for the fantastic local schools.  There is a dwindling elderly population too.  So, there are many vulnerable people locally who require the reassurance and protection that community policing brings.

As a parent in Mere Green, I have been particularly alarmed by the rise in theft and anti-social behaviour; children being mugged and sometimes badly beaten up on the way to or from school, and hooded youths “hanging around” shop corners verbally abusing passers-by and generally up to no good.  These so-called low-level crimes need to be addressed, and the only way to do so is with “Bobbies on the beat”.

Since a Police and Crime Commissioner was introduced in 2012, the role has always been overseen by Labour.  Their PCC has focused resources into the centre of Birmingham, at Lloyd House.  A vast building they refurbished for around £40m, which has an annual running cost of around £2.6m.

For comparison, the Sutton Coldfield police station costs around £273k per year to run. This is an important point not only because of how much is being spent on Lloyd House, but also because for 2024-5 Suttonians have raised £8m from our local council tax for policing.  That means 3.4% of the money we raise locally is spent on our police station.

Each year we have seen the police precept rise by the maximum amount allowed, this year it was by 6.4%, taking it to £215.55 for a Band-D property.  So, for us in Sutton Coldfield there is a clear and justifiable argument for our residents to receive more services for the tax we pay.

The Labour PCC and its MPs have long argued that West Midlands Police is underfunded, but when you consider that the previous Conservative government had raised their budget to more than £700m a year, you will clearly see that it is not the vast amounts being raised that is the issue it’s the priorities that the PCC has that are wrong.  That’s why we require our local MP to now raise the issue in Parliament with the new Policing Minister.

Since 2022, there has been some progress on ensuring we have more policing in Sutton Coldfield.  The new Chief Constable, Craig Guildford, has responded to residents’ concerns to situate more police officers at our police station.  Whilst this has been a temporary measure, it has nonetheless had some impact. 

Annual total recorded crime (from January to December) decreasing by 7.8% from 2022 to 2023 because of more local policing resource.  That means 573 less crimes, particularly violence against the person, vehicle offences and public order offences which have decreased slightly (see table below).

So, clearly having our local police station better staffed has had some impact on local crime.  This must not be taken away.  Local policing acts as a deterrent but also means there is a localised response available to deal with local crimes.  The sale of the police station puts all this into jeopardy.  As a strategic communications and behaviour change expert, I will tell you that it sends a message to criminals, that the police are on retreat.  That our area will be easy pickings for the criminally minded.  This is a failure on the simplest point of having community policing, to communicate reassurance to those who most vulnerable in our society.

We, right minded and law-abiding citizens, cannot allow this to happen.  Not without a fight.  So I urge you all to share this article and join me in calling for the sale to be postponed pending a public consultation.  I will share details soon on how you can support this, but for now if you’d like to register your interest in the campaign please fill in this Google Form.

The Labour PCC must, finally, be open and honest about his plans for policing in Sutton Coldfield.  For far too long he has disrespected our residents, trust has eroded and whilst he has spent millions fighting to save his job at the High Court he must now show he is delivering for all communities and not just those in south Birmingham.

Ends.