People across Dudley borough are being invited to share their views on plans to change the structure of policing in the West Midlands.

Plans are being drawn up regionally to transfer the Police and Crime Commissioner work to the Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority. People can air their views at Dudley Council’s corporate scrutiny committee on January 31st, as part of Dudley’s formal element in the regional consultation.

All views will be fed back into the regional consultation which runs until March 11th. Councillor Qadar Zada, leader of the council, said:

"The scrutiny process is a vital part of how we do business here – making sure people have the opportunity to tell us what they think and acting on that information.

"At the next scrutiny committee there is an agenda item about the potential to transfer Police and Crime Commissioner functions to the mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority, and I invite people to have their say.”

A report on the consultation outcomes will be submitted to the West Midlands Combined Authority Board on March 22nd. The meeting takes place at Dudley Council House in Priory Road, and starts at 6pm.

There is also a consultation event in the Market Place, Dudley, on February 9th, organised by West Midlands Combined Authority, where people can also have their say, from 9am-3pm.