Words by Cllr Ray Goodwin (Castle Vale Ward, Labour)
Castle Vale is a community rich in talent with good and decent people who look out for each other – and this became really apparent over the last few weeks with the high-profile incident on Castle Vale High Street.
It is because of the amazing community that Castle Vale is resilient and will bounce back bigger, better stronger.
However, I won’t be resting on my laurels and I will be making sure Castle Vale is getting the best deal possible. I will be holding a ‘Crime and Community Safety Summit’ on the 18 May 2024 at Greenwood Academy from 1.30pm onward.
I will be inviting a representative from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office, the West Midlands Mayor’s office, and the Erdington MP Paulette Hamilton. The Pioneer Group housing association has already agreed to attend.
My biggest ask is that we reopen a visibly present police station.
The Pop-Up Police Station is great, but it’s not enough. We need to ensure that the incident that occurred on 5 April on the High Street is an isolated incident, and that we do more to not only tackle crime but to deal with the issues that lead to crime.
I won’t be taking no for an answer, and I won’t allow Castle Vale to be treated like second best.
I will stand up be counted and do what needs to be done to represent this amazing community.
For more from Castle Vale Councillor Ray Goodwin visit www.facebook.com/thisiscastlevale
