My top priority this week has been fighting plans by David Jamieson, Labour’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for the West Midlands, to close Solihull Police Station.
Our town has already lost Shirley Police Station. If Jamieson’s plans go ahead, Solihull town centre will suffer a similar fate.
Crime is one of the issues most often raised by residents on the doorstep, and I have seen first-hand the crucial role played by local officers in protecting our green spaces from traveller incursions over the summer. A town of Solihull’s size and distinct character needs a proper police presence.
Jamieson plans to provide a ‘front desk’ somewhere in the borough, but has not yet said where it will be. Before our last local police station is closed we deserve to know precisely what will replace it.
Make no mistake, this is wrong and is purely the choice of the PCC. The press report that he is currently sitting on £100 million in reserves. The Government has also – thanks to the hard work of local MPs – released hundreds of millions of pounds for extra policing funding, which includes a £9.5 million boost for the West Midlands Police.
Jamieson insists that he has to make cuts, yet he has recently spent an extra £10 million into back-office staff, all whilst slashing front-line policing. Not to mention an eye-watering £33 million upgrading police headquarters in Lloyd House!
It’s not on. I have organised a letter, signed by five of my fellow Conservative West Midlands MPs, urging Jamieson to reverse his unnecessary and short-sighted decision.
Caroline Spelman and I have also launched a petition, which you can find on Change.org, to let Silhillians make their voices heard. I will also push a special Westminster debate so that Parliament can properly scrutinise these absurd proposals.
One thing which has particularly angered me, as your MP, is what I believe to be a lack of consultation – stakeholders have only been given 18 working days to respond and the public were originally not given a way to get in touch!
Ever since being elected as MP for Solihull, I have fought for our police services – protecting Police Community Support Officers and winning extra funding from the Government. There is no excuse for closing our police station.
Originally published in the Solihull News, 16/01/17.