New Police Community Support Officers will be pounding the streets across the borough next year – after Dudley Council bosses agreed to spend £750,000 over three years to fund the posts.

The spend has been agreed as part of the local authority’s budget proposals and will go before the council’s ruling cabinet at a meeting next week for approval. It will be used to fund five new PCSO posts for the next three years, specifically for deployment in the borough.

The move is dependent on West Midlands Police match funding the outlay to create a total of 10 new officers on the streets as the result of the initiative. Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of the council, said:

"I have made it a clear priority of my administration to improve the safety of our residents. One thing we are constantly told when we talk to people is that they don’t feel there is enough law enforcement on the streets to deter criminals.

"We are spending millions to breathe new life into our town centres – but people won’t visit them if they don’t feel safe. We are striving to make the borough a safer place to live in and visit.

"A strong, visible uniformed presence really helps towards that. This cash will help West Midlands Police put more boots on the ground patrolling our streets at the times when the public will see it and feel reassured."

The announcement comes after it was revealed last year that plans were in the pipeline for a new police station in Dudley town centre. Blueprints for the station are currently being drawn up by West Midlands Police to build a new base on council-owned land off Hall Street.

The station will have a front desk open to the public, marking the return of a permanent police presence in the town for the first time since the closure of the New Street station in 2017. Detailed plans are currently being developed.

As part of the budget proposals, council bosses are also preparing to spend £40,000 over the next three years tackling anti-social behaviour in the borough. Part of the cash will be used to create a new app making it easier for residents to report noise nuisance.

The proposals will be discussed at the next meeting of the council’s ruling cabinet, which takes place on Thursday December 17 from 6pm via Microsoft Teams.