The Safer Sandwell Partnership brings together the council, police, fire service, health and probation services and many others to tackle crime and improve community safety.
We work very closely with the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, West Midlands Community Safety Partnership, local community and voluntary organisations and councillors to set our priorities.
Our priorities for 2022-26 are:
- Prevent violence and exploitation
- Reduce offending, reoffending and serious organised crime
- Prevent and reduce crime and anti-social behaviour
Cross Cutting Priority 1: Protect and support vulnerable victims
Cross Cutting Priority 2: Tackling substance misuse - saving lives and reducing crime
Cross Cutting Priority 3: Serious violence duty
You can read our community safety strategy and delivery plan for 2022-26.
You can also read the West Midlands Police and Crime Plan 2021-2025.
Sandwell Council has dedicated community safety and resilience teams, working with a wide range of partner organisations tackling issues including:
- crime
- anti-social behaviour
- hate crime
- modern slavery and human trafficking
- extremism
- domestic abuse and sexual violence
- alcohol and drug misuse
The Safer Sandwell Partnership works closely with the Sandwell Safeguarding Adults Board, Sandwell Children's Safeguarding Partnership and Sandwell Health and Wellbeing Board – Information on how the four boards work together
Strategic Needs Assessment - Serious Violence
The Sandwell Community Safety team have completed their Strategic Needs Assessment for Serious Violence in Sandwell. This comprehensive document is a vital resource that delves into the complex landscape of serious violence in our community. It serves as a foundational tool for understanding the root causes, trends, and contributing factors associated with violent crime within Sandwell.
Serious violence is a pressing issue that affects individuals, families, and communities. To effectively address this challenge, it's crucial to have a deep understanding of its various facets. This Strategic Needs Assessment (SNA) provides just that. It offers insights into the specific types of violent crime, the underlying drivers of this crime, and the demographics of those most vulnerable.
The SNA outlines the economic and social costs of violence, emphasising the need for a holistic approach that considers factors like poverty, unemployment, and inequality. It underscores the importance of taking a coordinated, evidence-based, and multi-agency approach to prevention and intervention. Inside this document, you will find valuable information that can guide our collective efforts to create a safer Sandwell. By addressing the issues highlighted within the SNA and implementing effective prevention and intervention strategies, we can work towards reducing the incidence and impact of serious violence in our community.
We invite you to explore this Strategic Needs Assessment to gain a comprehensive overview of the challenges we face and the opportunities for positive change. Together, with the insights provided here, we can take meaningful steps towards building a safer and more secure Sandwell for all.
Sandwell Community Safety Team is working with other partnerships in the area to develop a regional response strategy that will be published in line with the serious violence duty by January 2024
Sandwell Community Safety Bulletin
Stay up to date with what we're doing to keep Sandwell safe by reading the latest edition of the Community Safety Bulletin.
Community Safety Bulletin - March 2024
Community Safety Bulletin - December 2023
Community Safety Bulletin - September 2023
Community Safety Bulletin - June 2023
Safer 6
Safer 6 is an annual campaign across Sandwell's six towns which promotes a wide range of safety, crime prevention and healthy living advice.
The 2023 campaign ran from 25 September to 12 November 2023 with a focus week in each of Sandwell's six towns.
West Midlands Police and Crime Panel
The West Midlands Police and Crime Panel (WMPCP) scrutinises and supports the work of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
We're here to help you
- If you need to contact West Midlands Police in a non-emergency situation, you can use the Live Chat facility on their website or call 101.
- Crimestoppers gives excellent advice on how to avoid becoming a victim of crime and you can report crime to the independent charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.
- Always call 999 in an emergency.
- Victim Support? Go to the Victim Support website or call the free support line on 0808 1689 111.
- Read our advice about reporting anti-social behaviour, hate crime and modern slavery.
- Domestic abuse? Call Black Country Women’s Aid 0121 553 0090 (0121 552 6448 out of hours) or free 24-hour national helpline 0808 2000 247. Always call 999 in an emergency.
- Drug and alcohol treatment? Go to our Healthy Sandwell webpage or call Healthy Sandwell on 0800 011 4656. For under 18s, DECCA (Drug Education, Counselling and Confidential Advice) Team runs the Our Guide To website or you can call 0121 569 2201.
- Fire safety? Call West Midlands Fire Service on 0800 389 5525 for advice and to book a free home fire safety visit.
Who are we?
Our partnership board has six statutory members:
- Sandwell Council
- West Midlands Police
- West Midlands Fire Service
- Black Country & West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group
- Staffordshire & West Midlands Community Rehabilitation Company
- National Probation Service
We work very closely with the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and Youth Police and Crime Commissioners on our board.
Our community and voluntary sector representatives include councillors, Sandwell Council for Voluntary Organisations, Rights & Equality Sandwell, Black Country Women's Aid and Victim Support.
We're also supported by volunteers in our Independent Advisory Group (IAG), Neighbourhood Watch groups, Sandwell Crime Prevention Panel and tenants and residents associations.