Stechford and Yardley North

Retail Crime - Retail Crime remains a focus for the Stechford and Yardley North Neighbourhood Policing Team. Whilst historically seen as more minor offending, retail crime has a huge impact, not just on the retailers or staff but on the wider community also. Often, the offenders in these matters are the same individuals causing Anti-Social Behaviour in other local areas including drug use, begging and disorder. By targeting these offenders, we aim to resolve longer term issues and root causes of their offending. Whilst our efforts will largely centre around Stechford Retail Park, we will also factor in small parades of shops.

•Officers are maintaining high visibility at Stechford Retail Park, including community engagement, PCSO crime prevention stand etc.

*Increase in retail crime seen at Tesco, Cockshut Hill. Officers are working with staff to identify persistent offenders and expedite arrests.

*Stechford Retail Park offending relatively low, small number of offences committed by prolific offender are being expedited and offenders either arrested or postal charged.

*Shop Theft is down 18.8% in Stechford and North Yardley vs. this time last year,

Road safety
Working with West Midlands Police colleagues and partners to make some of our busiest roads safer. Road Safety - Following feedback from various community meetings and a small number of speed related, high profile road traffic collisions, Stechford and North Yardley NPT are prioritising road safety. This overlaps with anti-social behaviour linked to off road motorbikes. Speeding and dangerous or careless driving causes great harm to communities and we are committed to reducing where possible

Further Team Pro-Laser Speed Gun operations planned over the next few weeks to ensure vehicles are adhering to speed limits.

We are actively promoting Community Speedwatch and looking to boost recruitment in the near future. Messages going out on WM Now and promoting in community meetings and public engagement stands.

Officers are actively enforcing zig zags at the Yew Tree Shops.

Officers are promoting the use of Operation Snap at community meetings - members of the public can submit digital evidence of moving traffic and parking offences for review and action. See the Operation Snap section of the WMP website for details.

Numerous vehicles recovered for a combination of no insurance, vehicle tax, obstruction of the highway and being stolen.

As with many areas, Stechford can experience anti-social behaviour (ASB) in many forms including youth ASB, neighbour disputes, aggressive begging, public drug use, unlawful encampments, noise nuisance, inconsiderate use of vehicles including e-bikes etc. The Stechford and North Yardley Neighbourhood Team are committed to a problem solving; approach in order to solve ASB, and use the latest data / analysis to identify the root cause. We are monitoring various Houses of Multiple Occupancy at present which has attracted anti-social behaviour and criminality including through liaison with Birmingham City Council and other Housing Management Companies to ensure the long term solutions as opposed to temporary fixes.

Officers are mindful of potential seasonal Anti-Social Behaviour around Moat Lane, Vera Road, Gilberstone Rec, Yew Tree Lane etc. The team have reached out to residents and are assessing any intelligence submitted.

Officers are completing proactive patrols and stopping nuisance vehicles when able to do so. Numerous vehicles recovered for a combination of no insurance, no tax, obstruction of the highway and being stolen.

Officers are working with individuals and housing providers to bring neighbour disputes to an end. Where criminal action is not possible, civil action and mediation are used where appropriate.

We are regularly patrolling with and promoting our Streetwatch groups, maximising our visibility in the community. 2 of our volunteers recently won a long service award and the recent West Midlands Police Streetwatch Awards Evening.

We recently attended a residents meeting in Glebe Farm Road and discussed the possibility of setting up a new Streetwatch patrol there. There was good levels of interest and one of our PCSO's are in the process of setting this up with our Streetwatch coordinator.