108-616: National Express Coventry is a bus operator providing services in Coventry . It is a subsidiary of Mobico Group operating on the operators licence of National Express West Midlands . In October 1986, the bus operations of the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive were separated into West Midlands Travel to comply with the Transport Act 1985 . In April 1995 West Midlands Travel
216-415: A "wider spread of crime", prevented the police doing everything the public want or expect of them. The current chief constable is Craig Guildford, and the deputy chief constable is Scott Green. The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), established in 2012 as one of several directly-elected police and crime commissioners is responsible for oversight and accountability for WMP and appoints
324-454: A Saxon landowner called Cofa , and a tree which might have marked either the centre or the boundary of the settlement. Around c. AD 700 a Saxon nunnery was founded here by St Osburga , which was later left in ruins by King Canute's invading Danish army in 1016. Leofric, Earl of Mercia and his wife Lady Godiva built on the remains of the nunnery and founded a Benedictine monastery in 1043 dedicated to St Mary. It
432-411: A WMP constable resigned after having been found to have fabricated the death of a partner in order to receive bereavement leave and other benefits; Chief Constable Thompson said the officer would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had he not resigned. In November 2023, His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary placed West Midlands police under "special measures", and the force's monitoring level
540-685: A combined annual budget of around £1 billion. In 2021 Coventry became the UK City of Culture . A range of artistic and local history events and projects took place over the next year, including "Coventrypedia" and the creation of the Coventry Atlas local history map. As with the rest of the British Isles and the Midlands, Coventry experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. The nearest Met Office weather station
648-476: A larger conurbation known as the Coventry and Bedworth Urban Area , which in 2021 had a population of 389,603. Coventry is 19 miles (31 km) east-south-east of Birmingham , 24 miles (39 km) south-west of Leicester, 10 miles (16 km) north of Warwick and 94 miles (151 km) north-west of London . Coventry is also the most central city in England, being only 12 miles (19 km) south-west of
756-628: A larger order for the West Midlands operation. These ten buses, as well as depot infrastructure to support them, were funded with a £2.2 million grant issued in 2019 from the UK government's Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme. Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps later announced in January 2021 that Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), as well as the local Oxfordshire County Council , were both to receive £50 million each of funding from
864-465: A new addition to the force's structure under Continuous Improvement. The core policing teams are: The 'PCT' support neighbourhood officers to address local issues and resource demands for service not met by other departments. They can be allocated to neighbourhoods suffering particular issues, for example anti-social behaviour, and are also often public order trained, so are used for policing football matches, demonstrations and similar occasions. As with
972-455: A new citywide partnership agreement, which has been agreed between Centro, Coventry City Council, Passenger Focus and bus operators with the aim of giving passengers faster, more punctual services as well as shorter waiting times and a more comfortable journey across the network. The three-year agreement came as part of the 2012 network review of bus services in Coventry. A flat fare structure
1080-659: A number of other mergers which would have cut the number of forces in England and Wales from 43 to 24, were abandoned in July 2006 after widespread opposition from police and the public. Because of prison overcrowding in October 2006, up to 44 prison cells at Steelhouse Lane police station in Birmingham were made available to house inmates as part of Operation Safeguard and in accordance with an agreement between West Midlands Police and HM Prison Service . In October 2008,
1188-401: A number of sergeants and an inspector. Key responsibilities of response teams are as follows: The core policing teams are supported by, and work closely with, a number of specialist crime teams. West Midlands Police had a mounted division which was disbanded in 1999 to divert funds elsewhere. Current specialist crime teams include: Air operations in the force's area have been provided by
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#17327977444061296-462: A number of shifts, each supervised by a sergeant, and will have an inspector supervising the sergeants. Key responsibilities of investigation teams are as follows: Aligned to specific neighbourhoods, these officers seek to tackle long term issues affecting local areas and attend community meetings. There are 171 neighbourhoods across the West Midlands, and officers assigned to neighbourhood teams are often supported by PCSOs and special constables. It
1404-403: A particularly severe blow: By 1981, Coventry was in an economic crisis, with one in six of its residents unemployed. By 1982, the number of British Leyland employees in the city had fallen from 27,000 at its height, to just 8,000. Other Coventry industrial giants such as the tool manufacturer Alfred Herbert also collapsed during this time. In the late-1970s and early-1980s, Coventry also became
1512-585: A population of 345,324 at the 2021 census, making it the tenth largest city in England and the 13th largest in the United Kingdom. It is the second largest city in the West Midlands region , after Birmingham , from which it is separated by an area of green belt known as the Meriden Gap ; it is the third largest in the wider Midlands after Birmingham and Leicester . The city is part of
1620-612: A regional control centre in Quinton, Birmingham shared with National Highways . Officers attached to CMPG cover a wide geographical area, including in the West Midlands the M6 , M54 and A45 . Based in Birmingham, Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands (CTPWM) is responsible for co-ordinating the force's counter-terrorism activity. CTPWM works under the guidance of the Government's national counter terrorism strategy, CONTEST , with
1728-561: A scale) and in 1962 Sir Basil Spence 's much-celebrated new St Michael's Cathedral (incorporating one of the world's largest tapestries) was consecrated. Its prefabricated steel spire (flèche) was lowered into place by helicopter. Further housing developments in the private and public sector took place after the Second World War, partly to accommodate the growing population of the city and also to replace condemned and bomb damaged properties. Several new suburbs were constructed in
1836-446: A while, this caused a devastating slump in Coventry's economy. A second wave of industrialisation, however, began soon after. Coventry's pool of highly skilled workers attracted James Starley , who set up a company producing sewing machines in Coventry in 1861. Within a decade, he became interested in bicycles , and developed the penny-farthing design in 1870. His company soon began producing these bicycles, and Coventry soon became
1944-544: Is "designated" under the terms of the Act and some are armed. West Midlands Police is one of the two police forces who contribute officers to the Central Motorway Police Group , the other being Staffordshire Police . CMPG operate out of three main bases, the main headquarters being under the M6 motorway at Perry Barr at which their central control room and vehicle depot is situated. CMPG also have
2052-548: Is Coundon/Coventry Bablake. Temperature extremes recorded in Coventry range from −18.2 °C (−0.8 °F) in February 1947, to 38.9 °C (102.0 °F) in July 2022. The lowest temperature reading of recent years was −10.8 °C (12.6 °F) during December 2010. Coventry forms the largest part of the Coventry and Bedworth Urban Area . The city proper covers an area of almost 100 km (39 sq mi). The protected West Midlands Green Belt , which surrounds
2160-662: Is a cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county, in England , on the River Sherbourne . Coventry had been a large settlement for centuries. Founded in the early Middle Ages , its city status was formally recognised in a charter of 1345. The city is governed by Coventry City Council , and the West Midlands Combined Authority . Formerly part of Warwickshire until 1451, and again from 1842 to 1974, Coventry had
2268-499: Is a partner, alongside Staffordshire Police , in the Central Motorway Police Group . The force is party to a number of other resource sharing agreements including the National Police Air Service . Prior to the formation of West Midlands Police as it is known today, the area now covered by the force was served by a total of six smaller constabularies. These constabularies were as follows: West Midlands Police
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#17327977444062376-693: Is in operation within the Coventry boundary; people can travel on almost all of its buses, and to almost everywhere on its network, for a fixed price. Graduated fares apply on route 11 to/from Kenilworth & Leamington Spa and the X1 to Birmingham. As with some other urban operators, no change is given for security and speed of boarding. A range of fares are available including singles and daysavers and their own travelcards which are available for 1-day, 1-week, 4-week and 52-week periods of validity. Off-peak, evening and group tickets are also available. Also Network West Midlands multi-operator tickets are issued and accepted on
2484-539: Is known as the Lunt Fort . The fort was probably constructed around AD 60 in connection with the Boudican revolt , and then inhabited sporadically until around 280 AD. The origins of the present settlement are obscure, but Coventry probably began as an Anglo-Saxon settlement. Although there are various theories of the origin of the name, the most widely accepted is that it was derived from Cofa's tree ; derived from
2592-400: Is led by Chief Constable Craig Guildford. The force area is divided into ten Local Policing Units (LPUs), each being served by four core policing teams – Response , Neighbourhood , Investigation and Community Action & Priority (CAPT) – with the support of a number of specialist crime teams. These specialist teams include CID , traffic and a firearms unit . West Midlands Police
2700-449: Is not uncommon for busier areas, such as town centres, to have several neighbourhood teams such as the St. Matthews beat covering Walsall town centre, which has two teams. Neighbourhood teams usually have a single sergeant who reports to a sector inspector. Response officers work in shifts around the clock answering the most urgent calls for service received through the force's call centres. It
2808-621: Is not unusual for response officers to work alone and each response shift usually has a number of officers who are authorised to carry Taser . In addition to Taser, some response officers also carry mobile fingerprint ID machines to confirm identities at the roadside. Response officers undergo enhanced driving training and also have a range of other skills required to perform their role including 'method of entry' training so that they can force entry into premises. Many response officers are also public order trained in order to respond to spontaneous disorder should it occur. Response teams are supervised by
2916-567: Is structured in such a way that there are a number of key teams in each LPA who have the responsibility for dealing with everyday policing duties. The force's current structure was gradually introduced over the past two years with the Solihull and Birmingham South LPUs being the first area to see the change in June 2011, and the Walsall LPU being the last in January 2013. The structural change
3024-481: Is thought likely that the idiom " sent to Coventry ", meaning to ostracise someone, derived from this period, owing to the often hostile attitude displayed towards the prisoners by the city folk. Following the restoration of the monarchy , as punishment for the support given to the Parliamentarians, King Charles II ordered that the city's walls be slighted (damaged and made useless as defences) which
3132-473: Is unquestionably more demand than there was in 1974.” In the 2021/22 financial year, West Midlands Police's budget was £655.6M, an increase from £619.7M in 2020/21. West Midlands Police covers an area of 348 square miles (900 km ) with 2.93 million inhabitants, which includes the cities of Birmingham , Coventry , Wolverhampton and also the Black Country . As of September 2020 ,
3240-798: The Coventry Gazette and Birmingham Chronicle , first published in 1757; the Coventry Herald, first published in 1808; the Coventry Observer, first published in 1827; and the Coventry Advertiser , first published in 1852. The ribbon weaving and clock industries both rapidly collapsed after 1860, due to cheap imports following the Cobden–Chevalier free trade treaty , which flooded the market with cheaper French silks, and Swiss Made clocks and watches. For
3348-504: The Department for Transport to convert Coventry to one of the United Kingdom's first two 'all-electric bus cities', operating all bus services entirely using electric buses. The funding secured by TfWM was used in January 2022 to order a further 130 Alexander Dennis Enviro400EVs and associated depot infrastructure for National Express Coventry, intended to replace the same amount of conventional diesel-powered double-deckers operated by
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3456-703: The English Civil War Coventry became a bastion of the Parliamentarians : In August 1642, a Royalist force led by King Charles I attacked Coventry. After a two-day battle, however, the attackers were unable to breach the city walls, and the city's garrison and townspeople successfully repelled the attack, forcing the King's forces to withdraw. During the Second Civil War many Scottish Royalist prisoners were held in Coventry; it
3564-531: The Great War. Approximately 35,000 men from Coventry and Warwickshire served during the First World War , so most of the skilled factory workers were women drafted from all over the country. Due to the importance of war production in Coventry it was a target for German zeppelin attacks and defensive anti-aircraft guns were established at Keresley and Wyken Grange to protect the city. In June 1921,
3672-578: The National Police Air Service since 2012. Previously, the Midlands Air Operations Unit was a consortium of West Midlands, Warwickshire, West Mercia and Staffordshire Police based at Birmingham Airport. It operated from July 1987, until it was replaced by the After experimenting, since the 1970s, with civilian helicopters hired on an occasional basis, West Midlands Police launched their own air unit on 10 May 1989. A WMP helicopter
3780-511: The Peugeot factory at Ryton-on-Dunsmore in 2006, ended volume car manufacture in Coventry. By 2008, only one motor manufacturing plant was operational, that of LTI Ltd, producing the popular TX4 taxi cabs. On 17 March 2010 LTI announced they would no longer be producing bodies and chassis in Coventry, instead producing them in China and shipping them in for final assembly in Coventry. Since
3888-560: The War Memorial Park was opened on the former Styvechale Common to commemorate the 2587 soldiers from the city who lost their lives in the war. The War Memorial was designed by Thomas Francis Tickner and is a Grade II* building. It was unveiled by Earl Haig in 1927, with a room called the Chamber of Silence inside the monument holding the roll of honour. Soldiers who lost their lives in recent conflicts have been added to
3996-567: The Wars of the Roses , the Royal Court was moved to Coventry by Margaret of Anjou , the wife of Henry VI , as she believed that London had become too unsafe. On several occasions between 1456 and 1459 parliament was held in Coventry, including the so-called Parliament of Devils . For a while Coventry served as the effective seat of government, but this would come to an end in 1461 when Edward IV
4104-495: The doom painting at Holy Trinity Church which features Christ in judgement, figures of the resurrected, and contrasting images of Heaven and Hell. By the 13th century, Coventry had become an important centre of the cloth trade, especially blue cloth dyed with woad and known as Coventry blue . Throughout the Middle Ages , it was one of the largest and most important cities in England, which at its Medieval height in
4212-635: The 1850s, Coventry had overshadowed its rivals to become the main centre of British watch and clock manufacture, which by that time employed around 2,000 people. The watch and clock industry produced a pool of highly skilled craftsmen, who specialised in producing precision components, and the Coventry Watchmakers' Association was founded in 1858. As the city prospered industrially in the 18th and early 19th centuries, several Coventry newspapers were founded. These include Jopson's Coventry Mercury, first issued by James Jopson of Hay Lane in 1741;
4320-465: The 1980s, Coventry has recovered, with its economy diversifying into services, with engineering ceasing to be a mass employer, what remains of manufacturing in the city is driven by smaller more specialist firms. By the 2010s the biggest drivers of Coventry's economy had become its two large universities; the University of Warwick and Coventry University , which between them, had 60,000 students, and
4428-554: The Bishops of Coventry and Lichfield, or Lichfield and Coventry (from 1102 to 1541), and in the medieval period Coventry was a major centre of pilgrimage of religion. The Benedictines , Carthusians , Carmelites and Franciscans all had religious houses in the city of Coventry. The Carthusian Priory of St Anne was built between 1381 and 1410 with royal patronage from King Richard II and his queen Anne of Bohemia Coventry has some surviving religious artworks from this time, such as
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4536-595: The Black Prince . In 1451 Coventry became a county in its own right , a status it retained until 1842, when it was reincorporated into Warwickshire . Coventry's importance during the Middle Ages was such, that on a two occasions a national Parliament was held there, as well as a number of Great Councils . In 1404, King Henry IV summoned a parliament in Coventry as he needed money to fight rebellion, which wealthy cities such as Coventry lent to him. During
4644-642: The Chief Constable Sir Paul Scott-Lee announced he would not be renewing his contract in May 2009, after seven years in the post. His replacement was Chris Sims . The force attracted controversy in 2010 when Project Champion, a £3 million scheme to install a network of CCTV cameras in the predominantly Muslim areas of Washwood Heath and Sparkbrook , came under fire from local residents and civil rights organisations. A total of 218 cameras had been planned for installation but
4752-558: The Dog Section patrol in specially adapted Skoda patrol vehicles with air conditioned cages capable of carrying up to three dogs in the rear and operate from bases at Aston , Canley and Wednesbury . The events planning department has responsibility for co-ordinating large-scale events taking place within the force area and also for ensuring that officers are available should they be required to support other regional forces through mutual aid arrangements. One major responsibility of
4860-608: The Dogs Unit to locate drugs or firearms and explosives. Dogs are continually recruited from rescue centres and from members of the public. All specialist dogs are handled by officers who already have a general purpose police dog, giving the handler responsibility in both training and operational deployment. Prior to 2013 there were 69 operational dog handlers working in West Midlands Police, dogs underwent an initial training program lasting twelve weeks. Officers with
4968-401: The United Kingdom. The following table shows the percentage of cases resulting in a criminal charge or court summons in West Midlands Police's jurisdiction, by offence group, for the period from April 2020 to March 2021: Dave Thompson stated that unforeseen pensions expenses of £8.6M in 2019 and £13.9M in 2020, from a budget of £514M cost roughly as much as 500 officers and would lower
5076-482: The West Midlands allows contactless payments through the m-Ticket app or credit cards, Swift Pay as you Go, along with exact change cash fares. Regular ticket inspections take place aided by the Safer Travel also known as Network West Midlands team which is a partnership that was created in 2005 between Centro and West Midlands Police . The partnership is committed to reducing crime and anti social behavior across
5184-418: The West Midlands bus network whilst providing reassurance to the travelling public. Safer travel has also created the 'See Something, Say Something' campaign, where passengers are encouraged to anonymously send information about nuisance behavior on buses by text message. Coventry Coventry ( / ˈ k ɒ v ən t r i / KOV -ən-tree or rarely / ˈ k ʌ v -/ KUV - )
5292-543: The aims of pursuing terrorists, protecting the public, preparing for a possible attack and preventing terrorism by working in the community to address the causes of terrorist activity. Most dogs in the West Midlands Police Dog Section are products of an in-house breeding program which the force has been running at its Balsall Common training centre since 1994. Specialist search dogs including Springer Spaniels and Labradors are also used by
5400-627: The arts benefited. A new sports centre, with one of the few Olympic standard swimming pools in the UK, was constructed and Coventry City Football Club reached the First Division of English Football. The Belgrade Theatre (named in recognition of a gift of timber from the Yugoslavian capital city ) was also constructed along with the Herbert Art Gallery . Coventry's pedestrianised Precinct shopping area came into its own and
5508-399: The cathedral tower The spire of the ruined cathedral forms one of the "three spires" which have dominated the city skyline since the 14th century, the others being those of Christ Church (of which only the spire survives) and Holy Trinity Church (which is still in use). St Michael's Cathedral is Coventry's best-known landmark and visitor attraction. The 14th century church
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#17327977444065616-726: The centre of the Two-tone musical phenomena. The two-tone style was multi-racial, derived from the traditional Jamaican music genres of ska , reggae and rocksteady combined with elements of punk rock and new wave . Bands considered part of the genre include the Specials , the Selecter , Madness , the Beat , Bad Manners , the Bodysnatchers and Akrylykz . Most famously the Specials 1981 UK no.1 hit ' Ghost Town ' reflected
5724-545: The centre of the British bicycle industry. Further innovation came from Starley's nephew, John Kemp Starley , who developed the Rover safety bicycle , the first true modern bicycle with two equal-sized wheels and a chain drive in 1885. By the 1890s Coventry had the largest bicycle industry in the world, with numerous manufacturers, however bicycle manufacture went into steady decline from then on, and ended entirely in 1959, when
5832-667: The chief constable. As of 2024 , the current PCC is Simon Foster . The West Midlands PCC replaces the West Midlands Police Authority, which was founded in 1996. Before it was replaced, the chair of the West Midlands Police Authority was Bishop Dr Derek Webley, of the New Testament Church of God in Handsworth , the first non-politician member of Authority to be elected chair, and the first African Caribbean chair of any police authority in
5940-525: The city a connection to the growing national canal network. Nevertheless, during the 18th century, Coventry lost its status as the Midlands' most important city to nearby Birmingham , which overtook Coventry in size. During the same period, Coventry became one of the three main British centres of watch and clock manufacture and ranked alongside Prescot , in Lancashire and Clerkenwell in London. By
6048-515: The city centre and to Coventry's historic cathedral , leaving only a shell and the spire. More than 4,000 houses were damaged or destroyed, along with around three quarters of the city's industrial plants. Between 380 and 554 people were killed, with thousands injured and homeless. Aside from London, Hull and Plymouth , Coventry suffered more damage than any other British city during the Luftwaffe attacks, with huge firestorms devastating most of
6156-482: The city centre, the University of Warwick on the southern outskirts and the smaller private Arden University with its headquarters close to Coventry Airport . In addition, Coventry was awarded UK City of Culture for 2021. The Romans founded a large fort on the outskirts of what is now Coventry at Baginton , next to the River Sowe , it has been excavated and partially reconstructed in modern times and
6264-532: The city centre. The city was probably targeted owing to its high concentration of armaments, munitions, aircraft and aero-engine plants which contributed greatly to the British war effort, although there have been claims that Hitler launched the attack as revenge for the bombing of Munich by the RAF six days before the Coventry Blitz and chose the Midlands city because its medieval heart was regarded as one of
6372-429: The city on all sides, has prevented the expansion of the city into both the administrative county of Warwickshire and the metropolitan borough of Solihull (the Meriden Gap ), and has helped to prevent the coalescence of the city with surrounding towns such as Kenilworth , Nuneaton , Leamington Spa , Warwick and Rugby as well as the large village of Balsall Common . Panoramic views of Coventry City Centre from
6480-470: The city was badly hit by Henry VIII 's dissolution of the monasteries . Between 1539 and 1542, monasteries, priories and other properties belonging to the Carmelites , Greyfriars , Benedictines and Carthusians , were either sold off or dismantled. The greatest loss to the city was of Coventry's first Cathedral, St Mary's Priory and Cathedral which was mostly demolished, leaving only ruins, making it
6588-444: The city, starting in the 1930s and being completed in 1940, helped deliver more urban areas to the city on previously rural land. In the 1910s plans were created to redevelop Coventry's narrow streets and by the 1930s the plans were put into action with Coventry's medieval street of Butcher Row being demolished. even before the war, the plans had been put in place to destroy the medieval character of Coventry. The London Road Cemetery
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#17327977444066696-455: The companies buses within the Coventry boundary and to/from Keresley and Middlemarch Business Park. The Network West Midlands tickets are not valid on their route 20 beyond the M6 bridge to/from Bedworth or on routes 11 beyond Gibbet Hill to/from Kenilworth and Leamington Spa. A travel shop is located at Pool Meadow Bus Station which sells both bus and coach tickets and handles enquiries. Coventry and
6804-751: The company. The first 50 buses from this order entered service in November 2022, with the order eventually completed in September 2023, resulting in National Express Coventry's fleet being converted to operating with 80% zero-emissions buses. An entire network review took place on 26 February 2012, which resulted in frequency improvements on key corridors in the city. Many routes were extensively revised or renumbered whilst there were some routes which were removed and others were introduced. When launched some changes were seen as controversial but
6912-634: The country's geographical centre in Leicestershire . Coventry became an important and wealthy city of national importance during the Middle Ages . Later it became an important industrial centre, becoming home to a large bicycle industry in the 19th century. In the 20th century, it became a major centre of the British motor industry ; this made it a target for German air raids during the Second World War , and in November 1940, much of
7020-592: The early 15th century had a population of up to 10,000, making it the most important city in the Midlands , and possibly the fourth largest in England behind London , York and Bristol . Reflecting its importance, in around 1355, work began on a defensive city wall , which, when finally finished around 175 years later in 1530, measured 2.25 miles (3.62 km) long, at least 12 feet (3.7 m) high, and up to 9 feet (2.7 m) thick, it had two towers and twelve gatehouses. Coventry's city walls were described as one of
7128-460: The finest in Britain. Following the raids, the majority of Coventry's historic buildings were demolished by a council who saw no need of them in a modern city, although some of them could have been repaired and some of those demolished were unaffected by the bombing. In the post-war years Coventry was largely rebuilt under the general direction of the Gibson Plan , gaining a new pedestrianised shopping precinct (the first of its kind in Europe on such
7236-416: The force has 6,846 police officers , 219 special constables , and 467 police community support officers (PCSO), 165 police support volunteers (PSV), and 3,704 staff. In 2019, 10.9% of officers were from a BAME background, compared with 8.5% in 2014. The area covered by West Midlands Police is divided into seven Local Policing Areas (LPAs). Each LPU is headed by a chief superintendent, responsible for
7344-491: The growth of the car industry attracting workers, Coventry's population doubled between 1901 and 1911. For most of the early-20th century, Coventry's economy boomed; in the 1930s, a decade otherwise known for its economic slump , Coventry was noted for its affluence. In 1937 Coventry topped a national purchasing power index, designed to calculate the purchasing power of the public. Many Coventry factories switched production to military vehicles, armaments and ammunitions during
7452-503: The historic city centre was destroyed by a large air raid . The city was rebuilt after the war, and the motor industry thrived until the mid-1970s. However, by the late-1970s/early-1980s, Coventry was in an economic crisis, with one of the country's highest levels of unemployment due to major plant closures and the collapse of the respective local supply-chain. In recent years, it has seen regeneration and an increase in population. The city also has three universities: Coventry University in
7560-541: The investigation teams, the community action and priority teams are supervised by a sergeant, who reports to an inspector. Key responsibilities of community action and priority teams are as follows: Officers on investigation teams have three main responsibilities, these being secondary investigation, prisoner handling and attending scheduled appointments with the public. These officers are also responsible for completing prosecution files and other paperwork necessary for taking cases to court. Investigation teams are split into
7668-416: The large influx of workers who came to work in the city's booming factories. The areas which were expanded or created in this development included Radford , Coundon , Canley , Cheylesmore and Stoke Heath . As the population grew, the city boundaries underwent several expansions, in 1890, 1928, 1931 and 1965, and between 1931 and 1940 the city grew by 36%. The development of a southern by-pass around
7776-657: The last bicycle manufacturer in the city relocated. By the late-1890s, bicycle manufacture began to evolve into motor manufacture. The first motor car was made in Coventry in 1897, by the Daimler Company . Before long Coventry became established as one of the major centres of the British motor industry . In the early-to-mid 20th century, a number of famous names in the British motor industry became established in Coventry, including Alvis , Armstrong Siddeley , Daimler , Humber , Jaguar , Riley , Rootes , Rover , Singer , Standard , Swift and Triumph . Thanks to
7884-615: The late 1980s as defendants showed that evidence had or may have been tampered with. West Yorkshire Police led an investigation which led to a small number of internal disciplinary proceedings, but did not recommend any prosecutions for lack of evidence. However, over 60 convictions secured from their investigations have now been quashed, including those of the Birmingham Six . West Midlands Police had two serious firearms incidents, in 1980 and 1985. In 1980, David Pagett held his pregnant girlfriend as hostage while resisting arrest by
7992-490: The monks from the adjacent priory of Saint Mary in 1144, and converted it into a fortress from which he waged a battle against the castle which was held by the Earl. Marmion perished in the battle. It was demolished in the late 12th century. St Mary's Guildhall was built on part of the site. It is assumed the name "Broadgate" comes from the area around the castle gates. The Bishops of Lichfield were often referred to as
8100-696: The new force was Sir Derrick Capper , the last Chief Constable of Birmingham Police. Between 1974 and 1989, the force operated the West Midlands Serious Crime Squad . It was disbanded after allegations of endemic misconduct, leading to a series of unsafe convictions. These included allegations that officers had falsified confessions in witness statements, denied suspects access to solicitors and used torture such as "plastic bagging" to partially suffocate suspects in order to extract confessions. They were alleged to have abused payments to informers. A series of around 40 prosecutions failed in
8208-447: The new network is designed to be simpler. Since then extensive service monitoring, reliability checks and public feedback have resulted in some further minor timing changes to some services to further improve the punctuality of services to their customers. The new network is colour coded and the colours of routes are displayed on the network map and on timetables, the buses themselves are being route branded to match these colours. Route 21
8316-549: The only English Cathedral to be destroyed during the dissolution. Coventry would not have another Cathedral until 1918, when the parish church of St Michael was elevated to Cathedral status, and it was itself destroyed by enemy bombing in 1940. Coventry therefore has had the misfortune of losing its Cathedral twice in its history. William Shakespeare , from nearby Stratford-upon-Avon , may have witnessed plays in Coventry during his boyhood or 'teens', and these may have influenced how his plays, such as Hamlet , came about. During
8424-445: The overall policing and management of the area, supported by a Local Command Team (LCT) composed of a varying number of superintendents and chief inspectors. Each LPA has a number of dedicated Neighbourhood Policing teams. These cover a specific area and are headed by a sergeant with support from a number of police officers, PCSOs and sometimes special constables . The force operates a number of police stations . West Midlands Police
8532-492: The police. Officers returned fire, and shot her. Police had initially tried to claim that Pagett has shot her, but it became clear that it was police bullets that had caused her death. In 1985, John Shorthouse was arrested by West Midlands police for questioning about armed robberies in South Wales. His house was then searched. His five-year-old son, John, was shot by police searching under the child's bed. An internal inquiry
8640-411: The post-war period, including Tile Hill , Wood End , and Stoke Aldermoor . Coventry's motor industry boomed during the 1950s and 1960s and Coventry enjoyed a 'golden age'. In 1960 over 81,000 people were employed in the production of motor vehicles, tractors and aircraft in Coventry. During this period the disposable income of Coventrians was amongst the highest in the country and both the sports and
8748-463: The project was abandoned following concerns over their legality and objections from residents and local councillors that they had not been consulted by the force. Between April and September 2010, WMP budgets were cut by £3.4 million as part of a programme to reduce spending by £50M over four years. In response to the 2010 Comprehensive Spending Review , Chief Constable Sims said WMP would need to reduce spending by up to £123 million over
8856-531: The regulation to be unlawful. In 2015, 498 former WMP officers were seeking compensation. The ruling was later overturned by the Employment Appeal Tribunal , whose decision was upheld in the Court of Appeal in 2017. Plans to privatise parts of the force were halted by Bob Jones, the force's first Police and Crime Commissioner , upon taking office in 2012. Chief Constable Chris Sims
8964-537: The rest of the cathedral. West Midlands Police West Midlands Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. The force covers an area of 348 square miles (900 km ) with 2.93 million inhabitants, which includes the cities of Birmingham , Coventry , Wolverhampton and also the Black Country . In 2020, there were 6,846 officers, 484 police community support officers (PCSO), and 219 volunteer special constables . The force
9072-401: The roll of honour over the years. With many of the city's older properties becoming increasingly unfit for habitation, the first council houses were let to their tenants in 1917. With Coventry's industrial base continuing to soar after the end of the Great War in 1918, numerous private and council housing developments took place across the city in the 1920s and 1930s to provide housing for
9180-403: The same period. In 2010, the force implemented regulation A19, requiring officers with 30 or more years service to retire, in response to government funding cuts. The regulation, used by 15 forces to make emergency savings, led to 591 WMP officers being forced to retire. Some of these officers later took WMP to an employment tribunal , alleging age discrimination . In 2014 the tribunal found
9288-431: The side of the buses with residents arguing it has been spelt officially as both Styvechale and Stivichall on road signs, shops and local amenities. PrimeLines was a partnership between National Express Coventry, other bus operators, Coventry City Council and Centro to deliver high quality bus corridors in Coventry complete with real-time information, bus priority schemes and modern buses. This has been replaced by
9396-469: The time of the Norman Conquest in 1066, Coventry was probably a modest sized town of around 1,200 inhabitants, and its own minster church. Coventry Castle was a motte and bailey castle in the city. It was built in the early 12th century by Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester . Its first known use was during The Anarchy when Robert Marmion , a supporter of King Stephen , expelled
9504-492: The total number of officers to 6,000, contrasted with 8,600 in 2010. Thompson added, “There is no question there will be more obvious rationing of services. The public can already see it is going on. We are already not pursuing crimes where we could find a suspect. We are doing things now that surprise me. We are struggling to deliver a service to the public. I think criminals are well aware now how stretched we are. These further cuts will leave us smaller than we have ever been. There
9612-608: The unemployment and desolation of Coventry at the time. Some motor manufacturing continued into the early 21st century: The research and design headquarters of Jaguar Cars is in the city at their Whitley plant and although vehicle assembly ceased at the Browns Lane plant in 2004, Jaguar's head office returned to the city in 2011, and is also sited in Whitley. Jaguar is owned by the Indian company, Tata Motors . The closure of
9720-530: The very first in Coventry—was opened on Eagle Street to serve the city's growing Pakistani community. The 1970s, however, saw a decline in the British motor industry and Coventry suffered particularly badly, especially towards the end of that decade. By the 1970s, most of Coventry's motor companies had been absorbed and rationalised into larger companies, such as British Leyland and Chrysler which subsequently collapsed. The early 1980s recession dealt Coventry
9828-479: The wonders of the late Middle Ages. Today, Swanswell Gate and Cook Street Gate are the only surviving gatehouses and they stand in the city centre framed by Lady Herbert's Garden . Coventry claimed the status of a city by ancient prescriptive usage , and was granted a charter of incorporation and coat of arms by King Edward III in 1345. The motto " Camera Principis " (the Prince's Chamber) refers to Edward,
9936-471: Was carried out in 1662. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, silk ribbon weaving and watch and clock making became Coventry's staple industries. In the 1780s, the silk ribbon weaving industry was estimated to employ around 10,000 weavers in Coventry, and its surrounding towns like Bedworth and Nuneaton . Coventry's growth was aided by the opening of the Coventry Canal in 1769, which gave
10044-421: Was considered one of the finest retail experiences outside London. In 1965 the new University of Warwick campus was opened to students, and rapidly became one of the country's leading higher-education institutions. Coventry's large industrial base made it attractive to the wave of Asian and Caribbean immigrants who arrived from Commonwealth colonies after 1948. In 1950, one of Britain's first mosques —and
10152-516: Was designed by Joseph Paxton on the site of a former quarry to meet the needs of the city. Coventry suffered severe bomb damage during the Second World War . The most severe was a massive Luftwaffe air raid that the Germans called Operation Moonlight Sonata. The raid, which involved more than 500 aircraft, started at 7pm on 14 November 1940 and carried on for 11 hours into the morning of 15 November. The raid led to severe damage to large areas of
10260-523: Was destroyed by arson in June 2009, while at Birmingham Airport . The West Midlands Police force area includes Birmingham Airport which is on the Solihull LPU. The airport has a dedicated airports policing team assigned who work closely with Border Force customs and immigration officers. Officers working at the airport have additional powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 as the airport
10368-423: Was during this time that the legend of Lady Godiva riding naked on horseback through the streets of Coventry, to protest against unjust taxes levied on the citizens of Coventry by her husband, was alleged to have occurred. Although this story is regarded as a myth by modern historians, it has become an enduring part of Coventry's identity. A market was established at the abbey gates and the settlement expanded. At
10476-675: Was enhanced, as it was "not effectively addressing the inspectorate's concerns". The inspectors reported that the force was not carrying out investigations effectively or managing the public's risk from known sex offenders. The chief constable and West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster said they completely disagreed with the decision. As of 2018 , West Midlands Police was smaller than at any previous time in its history, having lost nearly 2,300 officers since 2010. Government funding for West Midlands Police fell by £145M since 2010. In 2018, Chief Constable Dave Thompson said that falling numbers of police officers due to funding cuts, and
10584-567: Was formed on 1 April 1974, owing to the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972 which created the new West Midlands metropolitan county. It was formed by merging the Birmingham City Police , the earlier West Midlands Constabulary , and parts of Staffordshire County and Stoke-on-Trent Constabulary , Warwickshire and Coventry Constabulary and West Mercia Constabulary . The first Chief Constable appointed to
10692-597: Was found guilty of gross misconduct and banned from policing for life. A 2021 investigation by Newsnight and The Law Society Gazette found that alleged hate crimes in which the victim was a police officer were significantly more likely to result in a successful prosecution across a number of force areas including the West Midlands. The investigation found that in the year ending March 2020, crimes against police officers and staff constituted 7 percent of hate incidents recorded by West Midlands Police, but resulted in 43 percent of hate crimes convictions. In March 2022,
10800-573: Was held, and as a result, use of firearms was restricted to a specialised and trained unit. Allegations of bribery and corruption were made in 1994 by World in Action , an investigative current affairs TV programme. The convicted criminal David Harris alleged that West Midlands police officers had demanded payments of more than £200,000 to keep criminals including himself away from prosecutions. Other allegations from police officers focused on officers attempting to persuade others to accept bribes. The CID
10908-582: Was installed on the throne. In 1506 the draper Thomas Bond founded Bond's Hospital , an almshouse in Hill Street, to provide for 10 poor men and women. This was followed in 1509 with the founding of another almshouse, when the wool merchant William Ford founded Ford's Hospital and Chantry on Greyfriars' Lane, to provide for 5 poor men and their wives. Throughout the Middle Ages Coventry had been home several monastic orders and
11016-409: Was introduced as part of the force's 'Continuous Improvement' programme with the ambition of working in a more cost effective and efficient manner and was overseen under the advice of accounting firm KPMG . Prior to Continuous Improvement, the force had operated with larger response and neighbourhood teams and smaller teams allocated to prisoner handling roles. Community action and priority teams were
11124-411: Was largely destroyed by German bombing during the Second World War , leaving only the outer walls and spire. At 300 feet (91 metres) high, the spire of St Michael's is claimed to be the third tallest cathedral spire in England, after Salisbury and Norwich . Due to the architectural design (in 1940 the tower had no internal wooden floors and a stone vault below the belfry) it survived the destruction of
11232-399: Was reappointed to a second three-year term in 2013, then stepped down at the beginning of 2016. He was succeeded by Dave Thompson , who had previously been Deputy Chief Constable. In March 2021, Oliver Banfield, a probationary officer with West Midlands Police, was convicted of assault by beating after using techniques taught in police training to attack a woman while off-duty. Banfield
11340-567: Was sentenced to a 14-week curfew and ordered to pay £500 compensation to his victim. Former Leader of the Opposition Harriet Harman described the fact Banfield did not receive a custodial sentence as “proof ... that [the] system fails women and protects men”. After the conviction, the Crown Prosecution Service apologised for initially declining to charge Banfield. In a May 2021 hearing, Banfield
11448-543: Was sold to National Express and in September 1996 was re-branded as Travel West Midlands. In November 2002, the Coventry depot attained a more local identity and began trading as Travel Coventry. In February 2008, it was re-branded as National Express Coventry. National Express Coventry first took delivery of battery electric buses in the form of ten Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV double-decker buses built to 'Platinum' specification in August 2020, being delivered alongside
11556-459: Was the first route to have the new route branding applied, with routes 9, 9A, 20, 20A & 20E receiving their branding in April 2013 as well as routes 8/8A getting branding in June 2013. The route 4 also used the branding on the bendibus, but this bus was finally disused on 20 March 2018. The route branding for routes 9/9A led to a public debate about the correct spelling of a Coventry suburb to go on
11664-499: Was the focus of an investigation by Leicestershire Police at the request of the Police Complaints Authority. Under proposals announced by the then Home Secretary , Charles Clarke , on 6 February 2006, West Midlands Police would have merged with Staffordshire Police , West Mercia Constabulary and Warwickshire Constabulary to form a single strategic force for the West Midlands region. This, along with
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