Your local team
Hi, I’m Inspector Pete Poolton and I cover the areas of St Matthew's including Walsall town centre, Caldmore, Pleck, Paddock, Palfrey, Willenhall & Darlaston.
I have been within the police service for nearly 26 years and relatively new to my neighbourhood role. I am a local lad who wanted to be a police officer since the age of six. I carried out work experience whilst at high school with WMP. My passion for policing job hasn’t wavered, nor has my commitment to taking local policing back to what I know communities want in trusted relationships with your officers where we work together to resolve community priorities.
Since joining the Police in 1998 I have worked most of my years in front line roles whether that be as a Police Constable walking the beat of Tipton day and night or leading a 999-response unit as a Sergeant in Walsall.
I have worked in proactive teams, multi-agency settings and led the evolvement of offender management. Prior to being promoted to Inspector I set up what is now a running multi-agency exploitation hub in Walsall focusing on early intervention to those young people most at risk of harm.
In my current role I am responsible for five local policing teams comprising of both PC’s and PCSO’s. I have six Sgts that manage these teams and a deputy coordinator. As part of my role I will also conduct regular duties as 999 response cover.
I am also the chair of a newly formed multi-agency tasking group that brings key partners together to tackle the issues raised by our communities in a collaborative way. I have real hopes for the coming year that this group can really bear fruit for local people.
Having been in role for 12 months it has been great to see crime falling for my neighbourhoods but I feel that the fear of crime has not fallen with it and this is a priority for me.
Through consistent engagement with my community and by working directly with them, and partners, I know this can change and is my personal objective for the next 12 months.
I know that we have so much to do and so many things that could be better, we are by no means in a position I would like to be with crime and each and every incident is one too many.
My policing teams will be holding regular community/councilor meetings and it is there that we will listen and agree ways in which we can help resolve the concerns raised to us.
Crimes and priorities
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Priority:
Action taken:
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Priority:
Policing Priority
Preventing ASB & Crime in Palfrey Park and surrounding area.Action taken:
April Update
Officers from the neighbourhood team continue to patrol the park and have seen a increase in visitors during the Easter break and the lighter evenings and warmer weather. The location will remain a priority for the local neighbourhood team.May Update
Officers from the Delves Neighbourhood teams continue to patrol and engage with park users and visibility will remain as footfall increases during the summer months.
We have seen a big increase in footfall in the park with added events taking place in the park as well, the location is getting very busy.Officers are regularly patrolling the location as the park gets Busy during the summer months and school holidays, and this will remain during the summer period.
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Priority:
Police Priority
Preventing Burglaries in the Paddock & Palfrey ward due to seasonal trendsAction taken:
The team will be carrying out targeted patrols across both wards especially as the days are staying lighter longer. We will be liaising both Street Watch and Neighbourhood Watch schemes to ensure we are maximising visibility and and taking opportunities to share crime prevention advice widely.
April Update
Officers from the neighbourhood team continue to patrols the location and Burglary offences have still remained low since the last update. This will still remain a Priority for the local neighbourhood team.May update
Officers from the neighbourhood team have continued to patrol the location an a regular basis, Burglary type offences have remained low, however with warmer days and a tendency to leave windows open this priority will remain in place. -
Priority:
Detailed reports of drug dealing in the alleyway between Wednesbury Road and Corporation Street West
Action taken:
Officers from the local neighbourhood team will patrol this location to identify offenders and look at other measures to try to resolve this matter. If applicable will look at working with local authority.