From the way in which the public contact the force to how we respond, investigate and prevent re-offending, this ambitious programme of work will radically overhaul all aspects of our business with people and technology at its heart.
Never before has West Midlands Police undergone such a major review.
Aspects of the programme are being delivered right now with more still to come.
WMP2020 is built on a blueprint created following extensive consultation with our workforce, our partners and the public.
The blueprint looks at how our culture and values, our leadership, our technology, our services and our systems and processes all need to function as we move forward.
There are four main principles which WMP2020 is based around:
- Designed to listen and reassure
Adopting a new approach to working with the public, partners and each other. - Geared to prevent harm
Preventing crime and offending before people can be harmed. - Prepared to respond at pace
Adopting a more agile, mobile and effective response to problems in communities. - Ready to learn and adapt
Becoming a more active and innovative learning organisation
Projects
Over 30 projects make up WMP2020. These include:
Next Generation Local Policing
A new model for the way in which we police neighbourhoods. Resource levels will be based on need established through years of crime and other data. Teams will focus more on intervening sooner to and prevent harm.
Active Citizens
It will develop new ways of building safer and stronger communities while working with local people to share information.
Digital Experience for Citizens
Using feedback from extensive workshops, the Digital Experience for Citizens project has brought you this new website. In addition, it will meet the growing local demand for people to be able to access a range of police services online at a time which suits them.
Integrated Offender Management
Our dedicated teams will work with charities and other partner organisations to transform people’s lives. We are also continuing to improve our national reputation for being the best at preventing criminals from re-offending.
Risk Framework
This project is changing the way in which we assess the threat, risk and harm each incident presents and the opportunities for our officers – or other agencies such as councils - to make a difference. We have introduced a new grading system to ensure we direct the most appropriate resources, at the right time to secure the best outcomes.
Force Contact
We are bringing together our 999 and 101 call handlers to create greater resilience and improve the service we offer local people.
Smarter Dispatch
This will will change the way in which we deploy officers to incidents. Technology will mean they have up-to the minute information at their fingertips on every incident they attend.
Response
Response teams will be dedicated to dealing with emergency incidents. The teams will work without borders to provide greater resilience.
Investigations
We are changing the way we investigate crime. Technology and merged teams will improve the speed with which we bring offenders to justice and protect people from harm.
Body Worn Video
All response officers will be issued with video recording equipment to secure better evidence. Pilot programmes in Wolverhampton and south Birmingham resulted in more successful convictions, speedier investigations and a reduction in false allegations.
Mission Support
This project is changing the way we control the deployment of officers and the information we provide them with. New technology will ensure we know the precise locations of all our officers at any given time and the tasks assigned to them so that we can better dispatch them to incidents. This will be safer for them and smarter for the public.
Data Driven Insight
New software will be introduced which allows us to better predict demand, likely outcomes and alert teams to emerging crime trends.
Intelligence Realignment
We are reshaping the way our Intelligence teams work. While structures and teams may change, their aim of turning information from a variety of sources into hard intelligence to disrupt criminal activity will remain fixed.
Next Generation Enabling Services
The way force departments, such as Finance and HR operate will change under this project. The adoption of new technology and smarter systems will be more efficient and cost-effective.
Modernising Custody
Two new state of the art custody suites in Perry Barr and Oldbury are now open and operational. Hundreds of thousands of pounds will be saved each year with the closures of costly old sites. In addition these new suites are safer for officers and those who are detained.
New Ways of Working
This project invests in our people by creating an agile and flexible workforce, investing in our workplaces by creating modern open plan working spaces, and our technology by issuing staff with laptops and new IT systems.
Mobility
We are providing officers with smartphones, so they can access everything they need while on the move. This will save them coming back to police stations to complete forms or access systems.
Digital Interview Recording
This allows for the electronic storage of interviews with suspects and removes the need for tape libraries.
Our Partner
We are working with our partner Accenture on the changes which are fundamental to us, ensuring we are fit for the future and ready for the challenges we meet along the way.
The improvements made as part of WMP2020 are continually scrutinised internally and externally through the West Midlands Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, HM Inspector of Constabulary, Home Office and others.