West Midlands mayor Andy Street calls for crime commissioner powers

The West Midlands mayor should be handed powers of the Police and Crime Commissioner after the next mayoral election, the current mayor says.

Conservative Andy Street has acted because "crime in this region has more than doubled... and I simply cannot allow it to go on any longer."

Mr Street, who has written to the home secretary, said currently police were not being properly held to account.

But the Labour PCC said such a move would be "profoundly undemocratic".

Simon Foster, who was elected to the role in May 2021, said residents "should be able to decide for themselves" about the issue.

In a statement, Mr Foster wrote: "It is nothing more than a hostile takeover. This cynical power grab is in no-one's interests, save that of the government and its West Midlands mayor."

In his letter, Mr Street referred to new powers the government holds under the Levelling up and Regeneration act, allowing it to transfer the powers of PCCs to elected mayors.

He said West Midlands Police had a "very capable" chief constable, but said: "It is clear the current PCC model is not holding [the force] well enough to account, to drive down crime and ensure people across the region feel safe."

The move would also help coordinate working on projects such as regeneration, Mr Street said.

He denied suggestions the move would be undemocratic, because it would not come into force until after next year's mayoral elections.

But Mr Foster said: "The mayor's own party have stood four times for election to the role of West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and been roundly defeated on each and every occasion.

"That is because the mayor's government is not trusted by the people of the West Midlands when it comes to crime, policing, community safety and criminal justice."