Blakenall is a lovely community

Dear Resident

Blakenall is a lovely community with great people but like everywhere there are issues and challenges and we are aware of the problems.

Alongside our partners including Walsall Council and housing colleagues, we continue to work tirelessly to tackle issues including crime and anti-social behaviour in the area.

We have taken action against those involved in crime. As well as increasing patrols and issuing dispersal orders when necessary, we have visited the homes of parents and guardians and issued warning letters to those young people who take part in anti-social behaviour.

We have recently started working closely with the Right to Succeed and its Cradle to Career programme in the Blakenall area.

The initiative brings together a number of different agencies as well as local leaders, schools and residents to create long-term, community-led change. Only through working together and in unity can we bring about this change.

Inspector Jon Butler, Neighbourhood Policing and Prevention Hub manager, said: "We work closely with our partners but we all need everyone, including those who live in the community to come together so we can bring about real change in Blakenall.

“We have regular patrols in Blakenall and we would encourage people to come and have a chat to our officers if you see us out an about.

“We hold drop-in surgeries for residents to come and chat to us as well as regular Partners and Communities Together

(PACT) meetings. We really want as many people as possible to come along. We will answer your questions and address any issues of concern.”

As well as our neighbourhood teams we have a dedicated Prevention hub,  which identifies areas of concern and tackles them head on through taking a problem-solving approach. The team recently joined partners including Walsall Council to set up the new Prevention Hub, based at the Civic Centre. The Prevention Hub is the first of its kind in our force. It includes a dedicated anti-social behaviour officer, problem-solving officers, early help officers and school intervention and prevention officers. It also includes an under 25s serious violence co-ordinator, business crime co-ordinator and road harm prevention officer.

Blakenall has a Dedicated Neighbourhood Officer (DNO) with the local policing teams, offering a visual presence as they work alongside other departments such as the Project Guardian Taskforce, who specialise in tackling serious youth violence and knife crime.

The next Blakenall PACT meeting is taking place at the Love Blakenall Community Hub, Blakenall Village Centre, Thames Road, on 11 June between 5.30pm and 7pm and we look forward to seeing you there.

To find out more about your police team in Blakenall go to  Blakenall | Your area | West Midlands Police | West Midlands Police