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We Fight Back towards Violent Crime! |
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How West Midlands Police Are Tackling Violent Crime in Wolverhampton City Centre
Good morning Resident West Midlands Police (WMP), has deployed a multi-layered approach to reducing violent crime and improving safety in Wolverhampton’s city centre. Their work combines visible policing, targeted operations, partnership initiatives, and preventative strategies to ensure the public can work, socialise and visit the city centre safely.
1. Proactive Policing and Visible Patrols A foundational part of policing in Wolverhampton’s city centre is high-visibility patrols, especially during peak times such as weekends and the festive season. Teams made up of neighbourhood officers, special constables and plain-clothes detectives regularly patrol streets, licensed premises and nightlife hubs to deter predatory behaviour, intervene early and reassure the public. These patrols are specifically designed to prevent violence against women and girls and reduce opportunistic assaults in public spaces. Officers also work to support safe night-time economies by collaborating with venue staff and promoting schemes like Ask for Angela — a campaign to help people feel safer in venues if they feel at risk.
2. Targeted Operations Against Serious and Organised Crime West Midlands Police use dedicated operations in Wolverhampton to tackle violent, gang-related and organised crime. One such example is Operation Advance, a force-wide day of intensive activity where officers execute warrants, target gang activity and violent crime, and focus on anti-social behaviour and retail theft. These operations bring in extra personnel from across the region, including specialist units like drone support, to intensify enforcement and disrupt threatening activity. During recent deployments, this has led to dozens of arrests for offences ranging from drug supply to threats to kill.
Another targeted effort, Operation Redfox, specifically addresses serious violence and gang activity with high-visibility presence in hotspot areas, weapon sweeps, intelligence-led interventions and engagement with local communities to gather information.
3. Public Space Protection Measures To reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in shared public areas, West Midlands Police work with City of Wolverhampton Council on enforcement tools such as Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs). Introduced in the city centre in 2024, this order gives officers the power to: Disperse groups of three or more people if they are likely to cause nuisance, alarm or threatening behaviour. Ask individuals to remove face coverings being used to conceal identity for criminal intent. Since introduction, this PSPO has been credited with a 16% reduction in recorded crime within the city centre and a 50% fall in reported robberies — evidence of its impact in creating safer public spaces. The order is subject to regular review to ensure it remains proportionate and effective.
4. Partnership Crime-Reduction Initiatives Recognising that policing alone cannot solve complex issues like violent crime, WMP work within partnership frameworks such as the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership and regional campaigns like Safer Streets and Winter of Action. These initiatives bring together police, local authorities, community organisations and businesses to:
Share intelligence on hotspots and repeat offenders. Coordinate prevention and enforcement activity. Improve environmental design, reporting mechanisms and community safety education. For example, summer and winter crime-reduction campaigns involve dedicated patrols focused on shop theft, anti-social behaviour and violence, with local leaders and the Police and Crime Commissioner visibly supporting frontline efforts.
5. Community Engagement and Support Building trust and confidence within the community is a key priority for WMP. Officers actively engage with residents, workers and visitors to gather information, understand local concerns and tailor their response. Police encourage public reporting of incidents — whether through traditional calls or digital channels — enabling a quicker and more precise response to violent or anti-social incidents. Many roles within the city now include named neighbourhood officers who serve as local points of contact, helping residents feel safer and more connected with law enforcement.
Looking Ahead: Strategic Prevention and Long-Term Safety Beyond immediate enforcement, West Midlands Police contribute to broader long-term strategies targeting the root causes of violent crime, such as youth violence, substance misuse and repeat offending. Funding programmes and focused deterrence schemes — particularly those aimed at supporting vulnerable young people away from gang involvement — form part of the longer-term effort to reduce violent crime in Wolverhampton and across the West Midlands.
In summary, Wolverhampton’s approach to combating city centre violent crime is holistic — blending visible policing, targeted enforcement, public space regulation, partnership action, and community engagement. Through these combined efforts, West Midlands Police aim to reduce harm, deter violent behaviour, and create an environment where all members of the public can feel safe and confident in their city centre.
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