Neighbourhood Policing: West Midlands

Steve McCabe Excerpts

Tuesday 14th December 2021 Westminster Hall

[Steve McCabe (Birmingham, Selly Oak) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Sir Edward. I congratulate my neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Preet Kaur Gill), on leading the debate, and my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Erdington (Jack Dromey), who is now the shadow Minister for Immigration—and apparently for debate procurement—on securing the debate.

I hear all the time from constituents who are frustrated about the small number of prosecutions of those who burgle our homes, steal our cars and threaten our loved ones. It is inescapable that falling police numbers are part of the explanation of why that is happening and why people are so frustrated. Even if the Prime Minister and the Policing Minister keep their promise and restore some of their party’s cuts to police funding, we will still end up with 1,000 fewer officers in the west midlands than in 2010, and we will continue to suffer from an unfair formula that drives up our council tax and gives us a smaller share of Government grant than places such as neighbouring Warwickshire, resulting in its ability to increase its police numbers at the very time that ours have been substantially reduced. That is the unfairness.

I am totally behind the call for a fairer formula, properly applied, and better funding for West Midlands police. It is essential if our constituents are to get a better deal. I also wonder whether other areas of reform need consideration. In 2005, my old boss, Charles Clarke, who I am sure you remember, Sir Edward, suggested proposals to increase police numbers and to lower costs by reshaping and reducing the overall number of forces. His ideas, as the Minister may know, were bolstered by a report from Her Majesty’s inspectorate of constabulary that argued that the existing structure of the police was not fit for purpose. It recommended creating strategic constabularies of sufficient size to provide effective neighbourhood policing and tackle organised crime.

Those plans were opposed by politicians of all parties, if I remember correctly, and by chief constables and the then Association of Police Authorities. As a result, we still have broadly the same configuration in place almost 17 years later, although now it seems to have been bolstered by police and crime commissioners.

I acknowledge that lots of police and crime commissioners do a good job and make a good impact, although it occurs to me—the Minister will recall a debate in this place a few weeks ago—that they have in their own way led to a further politicisation of the police. They have brought much more politics into the police, which is why we had an argument the other week about the West Midlands police and crime commissioner’s Conservative opponents opposing his police plan which, of course, is a requirement. But the creation of so many commissioners also means that reform, which may mean reducing the number of forces, is much less likely to take place now.

I have concluded that we need two things: top-quality detectives, investigators and specialists to help crack the cyber-crime that destroys businesses and empties bank accounts, to stop people such as modern slavers and to smash criminal gangs. But we also need police to tackle burglary, vehicle theft and antisocial behaviour. If neighbourhood policing is forced to compete with organised crime for resources, I suspect it will always be the poor relation. In the west midlands, we have already lost 50% of neighbourhood officers.

Perhaps now is the time to think again about reform. Why not a two-tier system, with ringfenced resources protecting the numbers policing our streets, gathering local intelligence and keeping the community safe and a separately funded second tier of specialised officers able to wage war on organised crime? That would require revision of the formula and probably a reduction in the overall number of forces, but it could yield the kind of policing that many of our constituents are asking for.

--- Later in debate ---

[Marco Longhi]

I would rather not, just now. The facts sadly speak for themselves. We need the right strategy for deploying all the new police officers we recruit, making the right decisions locally, and having the will and competence to deliver on them. The Labour police and crime commissioner has closed dozens of police stations, while spending more than £30 million on refurbishing plush offices at his headquarters in Lloyd House in Birmingham.

[Steve McCabe]

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

[Marco Longhi]

Not just now.

[Steve McCabe]

Does it say in the hon. Gentleman’s speech whether he will give way at any point?

[Sir Edward Leigh (in the Chair)]

Order. Calm down. The hon. Gentleman does not have to give way if he does not want to.

--- Later in debate ---

[Marco Longhi]

Meanwhile, Dudley and Sedgley police stations have closed. Some hope was given to Dudley people when a new police station was promised in Dudley. It was hailed by my predecessor—the noble Lord Austin—as a new multimillion-pound station to replace the one in Brierley Hill. Several years later, we are still waiting for it. In 2019, it was announced that it would open in 2021, yet no detailed plans have been submitted by the police and crime commissioner to the council planning department.

Dudley is a major metropolitan town—I believe it is the largest town in the country that is not a city—and it has been without a central police station since late 2017. We are paying the price for no presence as a result of inaction and incompetence. Perhaps the Minister might inquire of the police and crime commissioner when Dudley people might see shovels in the ground and the promised new station.

I have great respect for a local police inspector in Dudley by the name of Pete Sandhu and his team. They are trying their utmost to make do with offices borrowed from Dudley Council that are, quite frankly, not fit for purpose. Inspector Pete Sandhu, the local police teams and PCSOs in Dudley town, the surrounding villages and those across the west midlands not only deserve but need a station that is fit for purpose. Unfortunately, time and again, Labour police and crime commissioners have failed their constituents—including mine.

[Steve McCabe]

On a point of order, Sir Edward. Is it in order—or, indeed, the custom—for the Minister’s Parliamentary Private Secretary to read someone else’s speech during a debate?

[Sir Edward Leigh (in the Chair)]

Would the hon. Gentleman like to reply to that?

[Sir Edward Leigh (in the Chair)]

There you are.

[Steve McCabe]

I apologise to the hon. Member for Dudley North (Marco Longhi). Can I ask who wrote his speech?

[Sir Edward Leigh (in the Chair)]

Are we having a little debate now?