I am deeply disappointed to see from the Labour PCC that he is proposing to end stop and search in the West Midlands.
While I never want any community to feel unfairly targeted, I know that officers in West Bromwich need to be given confidence by the leadership in local police to use these important stop and search powers.
I am always shocked and to be frank - upset when I have been shown some of the weapons that have been found in our town. And they have been carried by people of all ages, sometimes disturbingly young.
It’s in their best interests these weapons are found, as well as everyone else around them.
I will be writing to the Labour PPC to reinforce this message that our local police need the confidence to do their job effectively. That involves using stop and search. And it involves sending a clear message from the very top that there is a zero-tolerance for carrying a weapon or carrying out a crime in West Bromwich, Wednesbury, and Great Barr. At the end of the day - it will save lives.
https://www.expressandstar.com/news/crime/2021/11/02/stop-and-search-ov…