Mr Foster, who was elected to the role in May 2021, said: "Enough is enough. As PCC my one and only top priority is preventing, tackling and reducing
Mr Foster, who was elected to the role in May 2021, said: “Enough is enough. As PCC my one and only top priority is preventing, tackling and reducing crime.
“I am committed to complying with my pledge to the electorate. I was elected with a mandate to retain a democratically elected and directly accountable PCC.”
Mr Foster had previously said the merger plan amounted to a “hostile takeover”.
Mayors already have police oversight powers in London, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire.
The official Home Office consultation into proposals for the West Midlands showed 50% of responses to a survey of about 7,000 people disagreed with merger, while 46% agreed, although the outcome was called into question.
Any merger would not take place until after the winner of the West Midlands Mayoral Election was confirmed in May, Mr Street said previously.
Labour’s representative in that election will be Richard Parker after Mr Foster failed in his bid to secure the party’s candidacy.
Since its creation, the role of West Midlands PCC has been held by Labour politicians, while the mayor has always been a Conservative, with Mr Street the sole incumbent.
www.bbc.co.uk
COMMENTS