Homecoming for Halesowen's new inspector (From Dudley News)

Homecoming for Halesowen's new inspector

1:34pm Wednesday 27th June 2012 in Black Country News

A NEW police inspector has been appointed to lead Halesowen and Stourbridge through the challenges of making a leaner force more effective.

Dez Lambert has taken over from Inspector Mick Palmer, himself a victim of cutbacks forcing the retirement of all West Midlands Police officers after 30 years service.

But the 35-year-old has the credentials for the task ahead, having worked on the design of force changes at the Lloyd House headquarters and seen Birmingham South through its bespoke changes to streamline response times and prioritise workloads.

“It’s about old fashioned policing. We have to get people out of back offices and back on the streets,” he said.

Despite fewer officers, more efficient working has resulted in a drop in recorded crime in Birmingham South and although it is not yet known what changes there will be in Halesowen and Stourbridge, Insp Lambert is confident that the service to the public will improve and crime will fall further.

“My priority is to reduce crime and make neighbourhoods safer, to tackle anti-social behaviour and deal with the issues people consider important,” he said.

The inspector, who has lived in Halesowen for 30 years, also wants to extend public consultation from PACT meetings to considering wider views canvassed by officers and community support officers on the beat.