Home Secretary tells West Midlands' new top cop to 'get the basics right' in crime fight

The Home Secretary hailed the "no nonsense" approach of Craig Guildford, who is due to take over from Sir David Thompson in the force's top job with a remit to cut the region's sky-high crime rate.

She said she hoped he would replicate his achievements in his previous role as Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police, which saw falls in burglary, robbery and knife crime.

Mr Guildford arrives in the West Midlands with the region in the midst of a crime wave, with violence, weapons possession, sex offences, knife crime and car thefts all soaring over the past 12 months.

He met with Ms Patel at the Home Office this week to discuss his plans for the force.

During the meeting she welcomed his "no nonsense approach" to policing.

She also told him she expected the force to use extra resources provided by the Government to "make a difference locally" – by making streets safer and ensuring public confidence in the police.

The Home Secretary, said: "Craig Guildford will bring considerable insights and experience to the West Midlands and understands the need to get the basics of policing right: understanding the root causes of crime and then tackling them, strong neighbourhood policing and delivering justice for victims of crime."

West Midlands Police's budget is set to rise from £620.8m to £694.9m over the next two years, while a recruitment drive to boost officer numbers by 1,200 is ongoing.

However, critics say funding is still short of what is required, with Labour officials at West Midlands Police warning rising energy bills were putting the jobs of 100 officers at risk.

Mr Guildford has described his new role as "one of the top policing jobs in the country" and vowed to make the streets safer and rebuild community policing.

He is due to take over in December.

He spent five years as Chief Constable in Nottinghamshire. In 2021 his old force saw decreases in burglary, robbery and knife crime.