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:
Vehicle crime (Policing priority)
Action taken:
May update -
Neighbourhood officers have been liaising with traffic calming at Walsall Council to asses suspected speeding offences in the area of Broadway West and Wallows Lane.
The information provided by the council will be considered when dealing with future speeding and traffic calming measures.June Update -
Neighbourhood Officers continue to act on vehicle crime, this includes seizing vehicles committing traffic offences, driving without insurance, drug driving and driving under the influence of nitrous oxide.July Update -
An average speed check has been conducted regarding speeding offences in the area of Broadway west and Wallows Lane. Results have come back positive regarding the average speed. This is not to say that speeding offences are not happening at the location, but it appears that only certain individual vehicles seem to be doing this. The location will continue to be monitored and offenders dealt with accordingly. -
Priority:
Location - Regal Drive, Pleck, Walsall.
Issue - Anti Social Behaviour, involving drug dealing, abandoned vehicles, groups gathering being rowdy and urinating in public.Action taken:
Pleck and Delves officers are regularly patrolling the location, to deter the ASB, encounter and move any offenders. Vehicles abandoned will be checked for ownership and where appropriate seized and removed. The team are working with the community and local businesses to improve the situation.
May Update -
Officers continue to patrol Regal Drive to encounter individuals and disrupt related activity.
In addition, we have been working with community protection at Walsall Council and have now installed CCTV at the location, with the aim to deter related activity and help evidence any criminal activity.June Update -
ASB patrols continue in Regal Drive and with the addition of the CCTV, offenders have been deterred from entering the location. A gate being used by offenders to gain access to private property has also been secured.July update -
ASB patrols are still continuing at the location. Council CCTV Is still active at the location and is making a massive difference in catching offenders at the location. A stolen vehicle was found at the location this month and the offender was dealt with accordingly. -
Priority:
Location - Woodwards Road near to Primley Park.
Issue - Anti Social Behaviour, involving vehicles and their occupants parking up at the dead-end; drinking and taking drugs near to the park used by local families.Action taken:
Pleck and Delves neighbourhood officers are conducting patrols at the location, to deter the ASB and take action against any offenders, while check for any traffic offences.
May Update -
Neighbourhood officers have been conducting regular patrols in Woodwards Road, persons and vehicles have been checked and moved on where appropriate. Fly-tipping remains an issue, with Walsall Council monitoring the location.June Update -
Regular patrols in the area have been conducted by neighbourhood officers. Those not using the park facilities have been moved on and advised.July Update -
Neighbourhood officers are still regularly patrolling this area. Persons and vehicles have been checked and moved on where appropriate. Fly-tipping remains an issue, with Walsall Council monitoring the location. All ASB is being dealt with accordingly.