Face-to-face policing the top priority for new Walsall commander
Delivering face-to-face policing and working with communities is at the heart of the new police commander of Walsall.
Chief Superintendent Phil Dolby spoke of his passion for local policing and working with communities to make them better as he discussed his new position in Walsall.
Mr Dolby began the role of commander of the borough of Walsall within the Neighbourhood Policing unit of Walsall on June 21 and spoke about what the role entailed.
He said: "I've got the neighbourhood teams for all of the wards of Walsall, which includes offender managing teams, sex offender managers and neigbourhood task forces.
"Each team works in specific areas, such as looking after people and trying to divert them away from crime and teams which could be doing crime work one day and covering the football the next."
The 46-year-old also spoke about what persuaded him to take on the role as commander.
He said: "Every single rank I've held in the force, I've always done local policing by choice, so I have spent most of my career in uniform.
"It's probably my main calling in policing as I much prefer local delivery, working with communities and partners, so I'm delighted to be able to do this as a commander."
The new position marks the next step in the chief superintendent's career, which started in 1996 when he simultaneously completed his English Language and Literature degree at Birmingham Polytechnic and also completed his final fitness test to join the police.
He said he had always wanted to be in the police, although he nearly pulled on a different uniform to follow in his father's footsteps.
"After studying in the West Midlands, I decided I wanted to make it my home, so I applied to join the police while I was doing my studies," he explained.
"On the day I received my results and a 2:1 degree, I also passed my final fitness test, so I started the day as Phil Dolby and ended it as PC 3398."
Mr Dolby started his career at Kings Norton Police station, before becoming a sergeant in Ladywood and Winson Green, a position which reinforced his love for uniform policing.
He said: "I was convinced I would stay on the frontline in terms of staying as either a PC or a sergeant as I had lots of adventures, from foot chases to other events.
"It wasn't until 14 years in that I started to make the progression up the ranks as I suppose you have to move on and try to progress onwards.
"I was a detective chief inspector in Dudley before being made the head of the force’s criminal justice services at the beginning of 2020."
The path to taking on his current role was a difficult one after a brush with death due to coronavirus which saw him admitted to Worcestershire Royal Hospital last March.
He spent spent around a fortnight in intensive care, most of the time heavily sedated, and was put on a ventilator as he was unable to breathe for himself and the oxygen levels in his blood had plummeted.
He was discharged in front of applauding NHS staff on April 21 and it took two more months of recovery before he started a phased return to work.
He said the experience was still with him and he was still receiving help for it, but he spoke of how helping other people was helping him.
He said: "It's hard to move on from something that's on everyone's minds as if I had just been in an accident and got better, it would have been different, but the thing that got me is still around.
"I can't say it's behind me, but It's something I've had a lot of help with and I'm finding that being productive and helping others is helping me greatly.
"It's not the thing that will define me, however, and I've had lots of support from the force, so I will try and use my experience to help others to realise that when they need help, they should ask for it."
Mr Dolby said the role was a massive privilege in a town full of history and spoke of his commitment to his team and to his community.
He said: "First and foremost, I want everyone to feel they can come and speak to me and ask questions and I will always be honest with them, so that's the type of leader that I am.
"My commitment is to work as hard as I can and through our staff, give as much as we can and provide the best local policing that we can for the community.
"I believe firmly that when things are tough, I want the public to trust us to defend them and help them solves the problems that they have around them.".
