West Midlands Police

07/06/2026

| This week has been Volunteers' Week, so it seems the ideal opportunity to recognise the efforts of unsung heroes across the force who help keep communities safe.

We held our StreetWatch Awards at Tally Ho! on Tuesday night (2 June) where we recognised the members of the public who help to make the schemes such a success.

StreetWatch is a community-led project. It’s made up of groups of volunteers who are at least 18 years old.

Across the force we have 848 members making up 128 groups – who all kindly agree to take part in a minimum of two hours of activity a month.

The groups go out and patrol their area for at least two hours every month. The patrols help to stop crime and anti-social behaviour. They also help people in the area get to know each other and encourage others to take an active interest in keeping their area safe.

StreetWatch Stars Awards were handed out to the following StreetWatch groups who have all shown great dedication and support to their community.

Sam O’Dell, StreetWatch co-ordinator within the force, said: “This was a fantastic event that showcased everyone’s dedication and hard work. On behalf of all the colleagues they work with, we made sure they all knew how amazing we think they are.

“We have groups from all across the force, so it was great for the groups to all get the time to mix and share ideas for how they can all make their areas safer for all.”

👋 Join West Midlands Police as a volunteer 👋

Volunteers like StreetWatch members are essential members of our West Midlands Police (WMP) family, offering invaluable support across many of our teams and departments.

Whether it's one day a week or on a more casual basis, our volunteer program is incredibly flexible and welcomes contributions of all kinds.

We deeply appreciate every individual who donates their time to help us provide the highest level of service to our community.

Find out more about the opportunities here, including becoming a member of StreetWatch ➡️ https://orlo.uk/y3xtx

07/06/2026

| Last week (27 May) officers from our new mounted unit attended national training, the first of its kind in over a decade.

The day was hosted by Thames Valley Police at former RAF base Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire and brought together 24 police horses and mounted officers from across eight UK forces.

The training forms an essential part of upskilling the country’s mounted units, ensuring each force’s mounted capability is of the same high standard.

West Midlands Police sent four horses and riders on the course, as well as specialist ops training officer, PC Gilmore and lead instructor for the unit, PC Dipper.

The day gave our officers an opportunity to train in challenging public order scenarios with other mounted officers and tested their expertise alongside more established units from around the country, such as Thames Valley and the Met.

Lead Instructor for our unit, PC Dipper transferred from the Met Police earlier this year. As an NPoCC (National Police Coordination Centre) trained officer, he is now responsible for maintaining a high level of training within the department, providing mutual aid during public order deployments to other forces, and training new horses who join the unit.

PC Dipper said, “This event was an opportunity to show our colleagues from other forces, that despite being new, we are a fully operational, functional, professional, and competent Mounted Unit.

“The team understandably felt an immense amount of pressure and scrutiny going into their first national training day, but myself and the other forces only had positive feedback for them.

“Our horses, who mostly originated from the Met, looked exceptionally well, which was commented on by our Met colleagues. As an ex-Met mounted officer myself, I can honestly say I was proud to be standing there with my team, wearing the WMP uniform.”

Training in partnership with other forces standardises skills, strengthens collaboration and provides resilience across the nation.

The event, planned by Sergeant Heidi Cornick from TVP’s Mounted section, has been named Exercise Paro. The training will ensure all mounted units can respond safely, confidently, and effectively to both planned and spontaneous public order incidents across the country.

The welfare of the horses was a key priority throughout the training, with a specialist vet, farrier, and grooms on hand to check each horse during the exercise, as well as our qualified instructors.

TVP hope to facilitate more collaborative training exercises like this in the future.

06/06/2026

| As part of Volunteers' Week, we want to celebrate the amazing people who give up their time to support West Midlands Police.

Our puppy walkers volunteer their time and even their homes as they welcome our trainee police dogs into their lives.

Louise Stokes has been a puppy walker for more than 15 years volunteering her time and helping to raise more than 50 police dogs.

To recognise her amazing contribution, Louise has been presented with the Volunteer of the Year Award.

From Cocker Spaniels to Belgian Malinois, they have joined Louise and her family for the first six to 12 months of their lives, with many going on to become fantastic police dogs.

Including Chip, our first ever data dog. Chip went on to have a successful seven-year career as a digital police dog before returning to Louise and her family to enjoy his well-earned retirement.

Chip's not alone though. As Louise has welcomed 12-week-old Boost a Springer Spaniel from our Cadbury litter and one-year-old Ozzy from our Black Sabbath litter.

05/06/2026

We've seen lots more people out on bikes in the warmer weather.

If you're getting your bike out this weekend, be sure to read the top tips from Secured by Design (SBD) 👇

SBD is the official police security initiative that works to improve the security of buildings and their immediate surroundings to provide safe places to live, work, shop and visit.

Don't let thieves take what's yours!

Bike theft is a persistent issue in the UK, so it's crucial to take...

05/06/2026

- We thought Volunteers Week would be the perfect time to announce the names of our latest litter of police puppies. 🐾

The names might sound familiar. Introducing….. Rose, Boost, Freddo, Curly, Wispa and Fudge. They are our 10-week-old Springer Spaniels who have all been named after Cadbury UK
chocolate. 🐕‍🦺🐾

The pups were born around Easter and our amazing kennel staff decided to name them after their favourite sweet treat.

The puppies went off to their foster homes last month and police puppy Rose was welcomed into the home of Andrea, our newest puppy walker who also happens to work for Mondelēz, the parent company of Cadbury.

Andrea applied to become a puppy walker after being inspired when she saw them in action.

Andrea said: “I was inspired to volunteer after working at WMP for 15 years and always being in awe of the police dogs and their role in protecting our communities. I fondly remember some puppies coming to the office for their socialisation and then months later seeing them in action during a display.

“I am honoured and thrilled to play a small part in this journey for a police puppy to hopefully fulfil their role as a police dog.

“Rose is a fantastic dog, although the 5am starts have taken a bit of getting used to. But she’s brought so much joy to our family and it’s lovely to see her develop in such a short period of time.”

Christian Woolfenden, Managing Director UK&I and SVP Mondelēz International said: "We're delighted that our chocolate has inspired the names of these gorgeous pups. It's even sweeter knowing that Andrea from our team is helping raise little Rose to become a future police dog.

“A big thank you to all the volunteer puppy walkers for the love and dedication they give. We couldn't be prouder of our community connection with West Midlands Police."

Breed Scheme Manager Dave Raymond, said: “The puppies arrived around Easter and with their shared birthplace and home being the same as Cadbury’s, we wanted to pay tribute to Birmingham's favourite chocolate.

“We really value our puppy walkers who volunteer their time and their homes to help raise our police puppies for the first 12 months of their lives.

“We want to say a big thank you to Andrea and all of our volunteers who support our work and show love and commitment to our dogs.

“We couldn’t do this without them.” 💙

And of course it goes without saying, our favourite sweet treat is not for dogs or puppies. Keep out of reach of those paws and jaws!🐾

04/06/2026

This is the moment the Second World War bomb in Coventry was safely dealt with, as we joined partners in thanking the community for their patience during the disruption.

Working together with soldiers from 8 Engineer Brigade conducting Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), partners managed the incident from initial discovery through to a render safe, consisting of a controlled detonation of the fuze yesterday evening and the subsequent safe removal of the bomb.

Today, West Midlands Fire Service released drone footage of the moment of the controlled detonation.

Coventry Ch Supt Paul Joyce said: "I just want to give my thanks to everybody that was involved, including the local authority, fire and rescue, our military colleagues, and all of my own officers that were present making the environment safe for everybody to come and go."

02/06/2026

This is the moment our armed officers arrested a knifeman as he tried to drive the wrong way down the M5 after threatening a woman.

Joshua Jones was being hunted by police after making threats to a woman, who he knew, in the Halesowen area earlier in the day while armed with the Rambo-style knife.

Our fi****ms officers were deployed to search for him as he was armed, and the white Ford Puma he was in was spotted near Oldbury Ringway.

It made off from officers, hitting 70mph in a 30mph zone towards junction 2 of the M5.

Footage from the National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter shows how it drove the wrong way around the roundabout and towards oncoming traffic on the slip road of the motorway.

Fi****ms officers made tactical contact with the vehicle to stop it from driving up the wrong side of the motorway, at around 10am on 24 May.

Jones was then arrested, and the Rambo knife recovered from the passenger seat.

Ch Insp Sinead Sweeney, head of our fi****ms unit, said: “This was fantastic teamwork by our officers, working closely with NPAS colleagues, who used their skills and training to bring a dangerous offender to justice.

“The consequences of Jones driving the wrong way down the motorway could have been catastrophic.

“Incidents like this just go to show the range of work that fi****ms officers do; from arresting those involved in gun crime, to pursing criminals armed with other deadly weapons on the roads, to supporting our neighbourhood and investigation teams.”

Last Tuesday (26 May) Jones, aged 23, of Fountain Lane, Oldbury, appeared before magistrates in Wolverhampton.

He admitted possession of a large Rambo knife, dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, criminal damage to the woman’s property and using threatening language to her.

He was remanded in custody at a hearing at the city’s crown court on 23 June.

01/06/2026

This summer, we are working with Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands to encourage you to stay alert when and report anything that you see or hear that doesn’t feel right.

As we head into summer months, thousands of people across the West Midlands will be heading out to enjoy events such as music festivals, sports matches and other summer holiday activities.

Unfortunately, we know that crowded or very busy events and venues could be attractive targets for terrorist or other criminal activity. The UK terrorist threat level was recently raised to SEVERE, meaning an attack is highly likely.

We are working with event organisers, venues and local businesses across the region to encourage vigilance amongst communities and to report suspicious activity.

There’s no specific intelligence or information regarding an increased threat to the region. However we are reminding you of the vital role you can play in keeping yourself and your friends and family safe when out and about this summer.

You know your surroundings better than anyone else and you know if something isn’t right. Whether you’re commuting to work, heading out with friends or planning a trip to a festival, remember to stay alert and if you see or hear something that doesn’t feel right, report it to security staff where you are or police straight away.

Detective Chief Superintendent Alison Hurst, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands, said: “We’ve got another summer of fantastic events taking place in the region. Many of you will be heading out to watch World Cup matches, enjoy some of the fantastic live music events within our cities, or planning trips to local food festivals and other community events.

“We want to reassure that we’re not issuing this guidance based on intelligence of an increased threat to the West Midlands. This national campaign aims to remind everyone of the importance of staying vigilant, looking out for each other and reporting suspicious activity.

“We work with local businesses, venues and those organising events to share this messaging and encourage their staff to take action if they see something that doesn’t feel right.

“You can help by staying alert and reminding your friends and family to stay vigilant while out and about. If something causes you concern, trust your instincts and let us know straight away – don’t wait for someone else to do it.”

When you’re heading out this summer, stay alert and follow our advice:

• If you see something unusual or that doesn’t feel right, report it to security where you are, police or online at gov.uk/ACT.
• Look out for each other and don’t delay or wait for someone else to report.
• Anyone can complete the Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) Awareness e-Learning on ProtectUK; this will help you be prepared in the event of a terrorist attack.
• Security guidance and ACT e-Learning can also be found on the ProtectUK platform.
• In an emergency, always call 999.

31/05/2026

Do you know where your closest weapon surrender bin is?

Weapon surrender bins offer safe, anonymous way to dispose of knives. In the force area, we have over 30 weapon surrender bins that offer anyone the opportunity to dispose of a knife, or bladed weapon anonymously.

In the past three months, almost 2000 weapons have been taken off the streets thanks to these weapon surrender bins, and this includes knives, guns, swords, and machetes.

To keep up the momentum from a successful Sceptre week - a week of intensified action to tackle knife crime - we are launching a mini campaign to encourage young people, and adults, to safely dispose of unwanted knives and bladed articles using weapon surrender bins located across the region.

You can find your closest weapon surrender bin here: https://orlo.uk/n0LHr

30/05/2026

In May, we took part in Sceptre week, a national week of action aimed at reducing knife crime and serious youth violence.

Across the West Midlands, the force came together to sweep parks for weapons, arrest those carrying weapons, talk to pupils about the dangers of carrying a knife, and complete test purchasing of knives from retailers.

Officers from across the force, with the help of our cadets and volunteers, completed 113 weapon sweeps which helped take eight weapons off our streets. Our police cadets learnt how to search areas properly under the supervision of our neighbourhood officers and took the opportunity to hand out knife crime prevention leaflets to local residents.

Throughout the week, officers did over 350 stop searches just for knives, weapons, or stolen items, which led to the recovery of 24 knives. A total of 46 knives and 60 people were arrested across the week as a direct result of our Sceptre activity.

Our officers also attended 465 community engagements that focused on spreading awareness of knife crime. Our neighbourhood and schools' officers gave 201 knife crime talks in schools that reached 6200 pupils in one week. Engagement and crime prevention is an integral part of policing and helps our young people make positive choices.

In addition to our usual patrols, officers completed extra patrols in areas known for antisocial behaviour, drug dealing, and knife crime. These patrols included a mix of uniformed and plain clothes officers, dog units, fi****ms officers and traffic officers.

During the week, we were able to search 23 premises for weapons, knives, and illicit substances thanks to intelligence from arrests and reports from the public.

Along with our local authority partners, we were able to do test purchasing operations and complete 200 retailer visits to stop the supply and sales of knives to those under the age of 18. Trading standards enforcement officers regularly check in with retailers and licensed premises to ensure they are not selling illicit, illegal or counterfeit items to the public.
In Sandwell, the West Bromwich team patrolled and swept green spaces in Great Barr and Newton and also checked in with local businesses in Stone Cross and Charlemont Farm around knife crime sales. Our dedicated neighbourhood officer for the area visited Hateley Heath Academy to speak to year 5 and year 6 pupils about knife crime.

In Coventry, our schools' officers delivered knife crime inputs to hundreds of primary and secondary school pupils. In Binley and Willenhall, officers showed pupils at St Anne's Primary school and St Bartholomew’s Primary School the consequences of carrying a knife through virtual reality headsets.

In Birmingham, cadets and cadet leaders from our Sutton Coldfield team searched to Rookery Park to complete a knife sweep and litter pick. The cadets searched along hedgerows, around play areas, and in shrubs with metal detectors but thankfully no weapons were found.

In Longbridge, officers set up a knife arch at the Cross City train line and recovered a knife in an alleyway next to Bristol Road South while on patrol.
In Dudley, PSCO Denyer and PCSO Tonkinson from the Tettenhall, Penn, and Merry Hill team swept Penk Rise for weapons. Later that week, the team joined forces with Staffordshire Police to sweep green spaces along Dippons Lane. The team continued the good work joining forces with local metal detectorists to search the Windsor Playing Fields.

In Walsall, PC Leigh Thompson-Clarke, who is our Under 25s Serious Violence Co-Ordinator at Walsall, linked up with London-based FazAmnesty - a group focuses on supporting and protecting vulnerable people, and works alongside a number of UK police forces.

The group parked up outside St Paul’s Bus Station where they engaged with young people where they showed them how to use a bleed kit, including the use of a tourniquet when dealing with a stab wound and how to seal wounds. There was also an opportunity to hand in weapons to FazAmnesty anonymously and no questions asked.
In Solihull, our Chelmsley Wood neighbourhood team carried out a weapon sweep in Meriden park. The team were joined by Street Watch, and following patrols and searches, two knives were recovered. Later on in the week, the team searched the park again, this time armed with a cadet troop and three metal detectors - luckily no knives were found on this occasion.

In Wolverhampton, Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) Paul Drover attended Lanesfield Primary School as year 6 pupils heard about the dangers of carrying a knife and the tragic consequences it can bring, first-hand from Pooja and Nikita Kanda.

During this visit, ACC Drover signed the Ben Kinsella pledge that asks supporters to signpost young people and families to the right support services, create safe spaces for young people, and champion work that prevents knife crime. You can add your name or organisation to the pledge here: https://orlo.uk/Ve3wV

Reflecting on the success of Sceptre week, Inspector Colin Gallier, from our Project Guardian team, said: “Taking action against those who cause harm to other or carry a weapon remains a top priority for our force. Initiatives like Sceptre are vital in raising awareness, promoting education, and strengthening partnerships across the West Midlands.

"Project Guardian, our taskforce dedicated to reducing serious youth violence, knife crime, and knife-enabled robberies in public spaces, continues to operate 7 days a week. Supported by our specialist teams, Project Guardian will continue removing weapons from our streets and disrupting violence through targeted efforts in every policing area.

"We've seen great results from this Sceptre week, but the work does not stop here. Collaboration with our partners, the local authority, and local businesses is essential to keeping the momentum from this week of action - policing alone cannot solve this issue.

"A huge thank you to our police cadets, and volunteers, who have dedicated their time, and worked with our local teams, to make the West Midlands a safer place to live.

"We urge you to share any information you might have about knife crime and illegal knife sales to us either online, via 101 or 100% anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

For more information about knife crime, or for advice on how to have a conversation around knife crime, visit our website: https://orlo.uk/L4xB9