Staffordshire Commissioner Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime Ben Adams recently joined the South Staffordshire Chief Inspector at a parish council meeting in Kinver to meet residents and hear updates regarding local policing.
Ben talked to parish councillors about policing issues including the potential move of the police post from the high street to Kinver Community Fire Station on Fairfield Drive and concerns around response times.
He said: “It was great to attend the latest Kinver Parish Council meeting and there were lots of thought-provoking questions put to both myself and the Chief Inspector.
“I was able to update councillors on the excellent improvements being made within Staffordshire Police, in particular around 999 response times and the Chief Inspector discussed recent reductions in burglaries and how the force is targeting organised criminals use stolen vehicles for crime.
The Chief Inspector explained that despite some concerns raised by residents around specific types of incidents, Kinver has seen the highest reduction in crime in the South Staffordshire area over the last 12 months.
He also updated residents on the proactive work of local PCSOs who are working hard to improve engagement with their communities through regular public meetings and patrols publicised ahead of time on social media.
The Commissioner praised the force’s work on Operation Bormus, a dedicated team launched in South Staffordshire in June 2022 to tackle organised vehicle crime. Op Bormus has now expanded to other areas of the county and sees police officers work alongside colleagues from West Midlands Police and the Central Motorway Police Group to identify offenders.
Ben added: “South Staffordshire is among one of the safest places to live and work in the County. Maintaining a local and responsive police service is a key priority of mine, so it was fantastic to hear about the improvements that the Chief Inspector and his team have made in South Staffordshire since the introduction of the Local Policing Model in 2022.
“However, there is more work to be done and I will continue to work with South Staffordshire Local Policing Team to keep Staffordshire safe.”
