Good Evening. Please accept our apologies once again for not sending our message out for our last set of shifts. this message will cover that set and this set of shifts.

St Alphege 20th April – 09th May 2025

Burglaries

On Sunday 27th April between 04:30am and 04:34am offenders have snapped the locks on the back door to gain entry and have taken the keys to a black Land Rover Defender which they then used to steal the vehicle from the driveway. Between 12:00pm on Saturday the 19th April and 12:00pm Tuesday the 29th April on Danford Lane the doors of a garden shed had been forced open and 3 Petrol engine garden tools were stolen, hedge trimmer, hedge cutter and a leaf blower. Between 12:40am and 12:43am on Tuesday 22nd April a burglary occurred on Widney Lane. 2 offenders have parked their car on next doors drive lifted the fence panel and forced open the door to the storage passage with no access into the main property, upon realizing this they have then tried to gain access to the porch door before being disturbed by the home owner and made off. Unable to force these doors they have then snapped the lock on the side door and gained entry to the kitchen. There was then a second attempt to get into this property on Friday 2nd May between 01:40am and 01:43, but this time 4 offenders have snapped part of the lock on a side door, they were then disturbed by the home owner again. Overnight on Wednesday 30th April there was a burglary on Glaston Drive, offenders have jumped the wall into the back garden and entered through an unlocked back door where they found the keys to a Grey BMW X3 and stolen the from the driveway.

Vehicle Crime

At 09:00pm Saturday 3rd May a locked and secure black Nissan Novara was stolen from Station Road service road in the town centre, it is unknown how entry was gained to the vehicle. Between 07:00am and 11:50am on Tuesday 6th May a locked and secure white Ford Transit van was stolen from the car park of the Arden Club on Sharmans Cross Road. Between 02:00pm and 02:15pm on Wednesday 7th May a black Yamaha XC125 motorcycle was stolen while parked on Poplar Road, the bike was recovered and offenders were arrested later the same day in Birmingham City Centre.

Other crimes

A number of other crimes have been reported to us over this period such as shoplifting, assaults, criminal damage, domestic related assaults and knife crime

GOOD NEWS

Officers recovered a van that had been used in the theft of cooking oil from a number of locations around the town centre after response colleagues arrested the offenders. Officers from the St Alphege and Blythe neighbourhood team arrested a suspect for a knife point robbery that happened on the number 49 bus last week, this then led to the arrest of a further suspect. A total of 47 registered keepers have been written to after their vehicles were recorded speeding on 5 separate Speedwatch sessions on Dorchester Road, Alderbrook Road and Streetsbrook road. One vehicle that had been recorded at over twice the speed limit, 62mph in 30mph, has been issued with a Section 59 Warning Notice which means if that vehicle commits any careless, inconsiderate and is being driven in an anti-social manner within the next 12 months it will be seized and only released upon payment of towing and garage storage fees. We have also been out on 3 Streetwatch patrols, two with the Dorchester team and one with the Sharmans team.

UPCOMING EVENTS

The next Beat Surgery is on Friday 23rd May between 10:00am and 11:00am at The Core in the Town Centre.

CRIME PREVENTION

If your vehicle is keyless entry then consider using a FARADAY pouch to put your keys in. These block the signals that are picked up by scanners. 

Please consider anti-snap locks to all outside doors. Look for at least 3 stars and the Kitemark when purchasing them.

Always check your FOB HAS DONE ITS JOB and has locked your vehicle. Offenders are out there at night trying the handles looking for insecure vehicles.

Don’t leave valuables in unattended vehicles.

Please consider a good steering lock for your vehicles, and check that your vehicle is locked before you walk away from it.

If you are going to be out when it gets darker please consider timer switches for your lamps. There are also other devices that do the same job that can be linked to wifi. 

Don’t leave your house in darkness, this is a clear sign that the house could be empty.

Remember, crime prevention is all about making it difficult for offenders to break in to your property or steal your vehicles. If they have to spend more time or make more noise than they want to they may give up and look elsewhere. 

With the nicer weather and lighter evenings now upon us, more of us will be keen to get back on our bikes. Please ensure that you have a good quality lock if you plan on leaving your bike unattended. A D lock is one such type of lock. Bike theft generally increases with the better weather as people start to get out on them more.

Put wheelie bins at the rear of your property away from gates and fences if you can. These can be used as a means to get over your fence and into your rear garden. 

If you have a side gate or a fence bordering your garden then think about something called PRIKA STRIP. This is strips of hard rubber spikes that can be run along flat surfaces such as gates, fences and roofs, anybody attempting to climb on or over will find it difficult to put their hands on the surface due to these spikes.

Tamper proof screws for number plates are a good idea to protect number plates from being stolen.

Pickpockets and purse dippers are active in the town centre. Always make sure handbags are zipped up,never leave your handbag or purse unattended on a shopping trolley, pushchair or wheelchair. Always be aware of your surroundings and the people around you when withdrawing cash. A simple tactic against this type of crime is to attach small bells to your purse so that they jingle when purses are being moved.

Please take 5 mins to read about ways you can prevent burglary and vehicle theft

www.westmidlands.police.uk/search?q=Burglary

www.westmidlands.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/keeping-vehicles-safe/

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