Joint enforcement tackles anti-social behaviour in Willenhall and Darlaston
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Walsall Council, West Midlands Police and partner agencies are stepping up joint action against anti-social behaviour (ASB) and related crime in hotspots across Willenhall and Darlaston, with increased patrols and targeted interventions agreed to address recurring problems.
The action follows a Locality Tasking Group meeting held on 20 October, where partners focused on addressing issues in West Walsall. These regular meetings bring together council teams, police, West Midlands Fire Service and housing providers to share intelligence, identify problem areas and agree how best to respond.
Each meeting focuses on a specific locality across the borough, allowing partners to identify neighbourhood concerns and coordinate action based on local intelligence.
As part of the response, Community Protection and police officers will step up joint high-visibility patrols across West Walsall during the darker autumn evenings, focusing on hotspots for street drinking and anti-social behaviour in parks and around bus stops.
The operation will also target seasonal risks, including fireworks misuse, deliberate fires and vehicle crime. Partners will share intelligence on repeat incidents and individuals linked to persistent anti-social behaviour to coordinate targeted enforcement and interventions. This will include warning letters to families where young people are involved in anti-social behaviour, joint home visits with relevant agencies and outreach support for vulnerable perpetrators to address underlying issues and prevent further problems.
“ By working closely with our partners, sharing intelligence and increasing our presence in hotspot areas, we can target enforcement where it is needed most and take action against those responsible.
A joined-up approach allows us not only to tackle anti-social behaviour through enforcement, but also to address the underlying issues through appropriate interventions to help prevent problems from recurring.
We are committed to addressing the issues that affect local communities and making our neighbourhoods safer for everyone. “
“ We understand what an impact anti-social behaviour can have on people’s lives.
Working closely with our partners we are targeting hotspot areas in Willenhall and Darlaston and taking action against those people who carry out ASB.
We have officers carrying out regular patrols in areas where ASB has been reported and those who we identify will receive warning letters and home visits with potential to prosecute if their behaviour doesn’t improve.
We want people to visit our towns and feel safe and we are working tirelessly to ensure this is the case. “
Further agreed action includes reviewing CCTV footage following reports of anti-social behaviour, loitering and verbal abuse in hotspot areas and around derelict premises. This will help identify those involved and inform further enforcement action and interventions.
Partners will review the outcomes of these operations at future tasking meetings, assess progress against agreed priorities and determine what further action is needed where problems persist.
Residents can help inform local enforcement activity by reporting community protection concerns to Walsall Council through its online reporting service: https://go.walsall.gov.uk/report
Suspected crimes should be reported directly to West Midlands Police. Call 999 if a crime is in progress or someone is in immediate danger.
