Devolution deal’ fails to deliver on policing’, says PCC

The deal, announced in last week’s Spring Budget, will see more powers and funding – as much as £1.5 billion – devolved to the West Midlands in the coming years. This will give local leaders “unparalleled control” over spending.

But Simon Foster said: “The Government’s Deeper Devolution Deal has failed to deliver on policing, community safety and criminal justice. The Government promised the deal would reduce homicide, serious violence and neighbourhood crime, within the worst affected areas by 2030.

“We submitted many proposals to the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice, including how the criminal justice system could work better for policing and victims of crime, improve the prospects of turning around the lives of young people and increase retention of average speed enforcement fines and proceeds of crime, to enable them to be invested back into the West Midlands.

“We committed significant effort and time and negotiated with the Government in good faith. However, the government has knocked back all of our proposals and has included nothing in the deal that will make good on its own promise to reduce homicide, serious  violence and neighbourhood crime, within the worst affected areas by 2030.”

Mr Foster, who is one of three Labour candidates for West Midlands mayor, added: “We will still have 1,000 fewer police officers than we had in 2010 and an unfair funding formula, that costs the West Midlands £40 million a year. There is no levelling up when it comes to policing, community safety and criminal justice. The Government has failed the people of the West Midlands once again.