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:
Feb 2026 Update
Officers from the Pleck Neighbourhood Team have been conducting targeted patrols around the Pleck area engaging with motorists, offering crime prevention advice and accessories to assist in preventing vehicle crime. Intelligence is also being gathered and put into police systems regarding the issue.
April update
Officers from the Pleck Neighbourhood Team have been conducting targeted patrols around the Pleck area engaging with motorists, offering crime prevention advice and accessories to assist in preventing vehicle crime.
During a recent operation, a vehicle was stopped for checks but made off from officers. The driver was later arrested for driving offences.March 2026 Update
On 28th Feb 2026 officers carried out a proactive patrol around the Pleck area where they carried out several stops checks on vehicles. This resulted in the seizure of a vehicle for not having insurance.
April Update
Officers continue to carry out proactive patrols around the Pleck, Alumwell and Birchills areas, where they carried out several stops checks on vehicles. Relating to driving without insurance, theft of and theft from motor vehicle. There are also illegal parking issues in Regal Drive and Reservoir Place. Some vehicles have been issued with penalty notices and on occasion seized.
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. -
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. -
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.