West Midlands Police is considered the second largest police force in the county. It covers an area of 348 square miles and serves a population of almost 2.6 million. Its jurisdiction includes the cities of Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, and the Black Country. It is composed of an estimated 14,120 employees that include police officers, staff, special constables, and police community support officers.
The West Midlands Police force was created in 1974 through the Local Government Act 1972 which saw the creation of the new West Midlands metropolitan county that covered the West Midlands constabulary area, Birmingham, Coventry, and other neighbouring towns.
In 2006, proposals were made by the Home secretary to merge it with Staffordshire Police, West Mercia Constabulary and Warwickshire Constabulary in order to form a single force for the West Midlands region. This, however, was met with much opposition from police and the public. Thus, the plans to merge were abandoned entirely.
West Midlands Police is divided into ten local policing units, each of which is headed by a chief superintended who is in charge of the overall management of the peace and order in the area. Each of the local units is composed of several neighbourhood policing teams that organize regular meetings in order to discuss the needs of the local community.
The West Midlands Police force exists to ensure that the people in their area are given efficient, effective, and improving policing service. The officers who have pledged to protect the people and uphold peace and order follow a specific Vision: “To serve the community and protect them from harm”. Each of the 10 local units established are divided into 171 neighbourhoods, and are served by a dedicated neighbourhood team that work hand in hand to keep the people safe and reduce the crime rate in their area.
