Wolverhampton MP in call to end 'invisible' policing
An MP has called for more bobbies on the beat after over 80 per cent of people responding to a crime survey said police in their area were "invisible".
Stuart Anderson's safer neighbourhoods survey saw 52 per cent of respondents say police were "extremely invisible" in Wolverhampton South West, with 30 per cent saying they were "somewhat invisible".
The survey of nearly 200 people also saw 57 per cent of people say they were worried about crime and anti-social behaviour, while speeding and traffic issues were rated as a key area of concern by one third of respondents.
Just one in five people who had encountered crime said they had reported the incident to the police.
Mr Anderson said it was vital that more police were deployed on the streets of the city. He said he has shared the survey findings with a senior officer at West Midlands Police and the recently elected Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster.
“Right from the start, I have made it one of my top priorities to ensure that our great city can become a safer and cleaner place to be in," Mr Anderson said.
"I am working with key partners such as West Midlands Police and Wolverhampton Council to ensure that we can deliver on this."
West Midlands Police is to get 1,200 new officers by 2023 as part of a Government drive to boost officer numbers across the country by 20,000.
Mr Foster, who succeeded David Jamieson as PCC earlier this month, has pledged to put 450 of the new officers in neighbourhoods across the West Midlands in a bid to increase police visibility.
