West Midlands’ new police chief starts work today aiming to boost public satisfaction by tackling bureaucracy and freeing officers to use their professional judgment.

Chief Constable Chris Sims said improving the public’s feelings about the service they received would be at the heart of his crime-fighting ethos.

While levels of crime would still be measured, there would be no more chasing figures simply for the sake of hitting targets, he said.

Instead, officers would be given more power to use their professional judgment to deal with crime and antisocial behaviour that best suited the victims.

Mr Sims walked back into Lloyd House today after a three-year absence when his career took him first to the National Policing Improvement Agency and then in 2007 saw him installed as leader of neighbouring Staffordshire Police.

He acknowledged he had two tough acts to follow in predecessors Sir Edward Crew and Sir Paul Scott-Lee, who spearheaded dramatic reductions in crime during his seven years in charge.

“There has been a cycle through Sir Edward and then through Sir Paul,” he said. “It has taken the force from a position of not having a fantastic reputation and not always being known for delivering good service to a point where it is highly respected. The difficult task is now moving us up a level.”