Community Safety Strategy Consultation 2025

People who live, work or study in Sandwell for their views on community safety in Sandwell, including their experiences of crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB), how safe they feel, and the issues that concern them most. We also sought feedback on current community safety priorities and what actions or initiatives would help you feel safer in your neighbourhoods.

People shared experiencing crime and ASB and the reasons for not reporting incidents, often due to a lack of confidence that action will be taken or uncertainty about how to report. You highlighted a strong need for increased police presence, better maintained neighbourhoods and more CCTV.

There was strong support for the existing Community Safety priorities in particularly Violence Against Women and Girls and Serious Violence.

We have made a significant investment of over £1 million to strengthen our borough-wide response to ASB, making it easier for local people to report concerns and access support through a single point of contact. We have more than doubled the number of dedicated ASB officers, to improve response times, ownership and consistency when dealing with ASB.

We have upgraded CCTV in West Bromwich town centre, a key hotspot identified in the consultation, replacing older cameras with new high-definition technology to improve coverage and help tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.

We have also expanded our Sandwell Safe Spaces scheme, with 61 locations now available across Sandwell, including expansion into Blackheath, providing safe places indoors for people who feel vulnerable while out and about in high streets and town centres (www.sandwell.gov.uk/safespaces).

We marked 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence during November and December 2025, bringing the whole community together at West Bromwich Town Hall for the Sandwell Stands Summit to share learning, see artwork and make a borough-wide commitment to end violence against women and girls across Sandwell. This followed a series of sessions across our six towns for people to seek support and discuss issues.

Additionally, in December, we held our Reclaim the Night Walk in Oldbury, where residents, partners and staff walked in solidarity to say no to violence, harassment and abuse, to reclaim our streets and public spaces and celebrate the strength and solidarity of our communities.