This week stoke and wyken.

Dear Residents and Local Businesses, here is your weekly update from your local neighbourhood Policing Team, Stoke and Wyken. 

Darker nights have approached but we are still actively patrolling our green spaces and high anti social behaviour areas, for those who have not seen these messages before, some of the green areas include Caludon Castle Park, the Lindfield, Stoke Heath and Barras Heath, where as our high anti social behaviour areas include Riley Square, Hillmorton Road, parts of Walsgrave Road near St Michaels Church and Edgwick Park. 

At this time of year, as the nights draw in, we’re working hard to keep our communities safe. So, here’s some things you can do that will help protect your home and belongings against opportunist burglars and thieves.  

Our key advice to you is - ‘Lock up’  

You can make your house much less tempting to would-be burglars by making it look occupied, even when you are out.  

Use timer switches to make lights come on as it gets dark, and close curtains and blinds, so your valuables can’t be seen from outside.  

Even if you are at home, remember to lock your front door and windows from the inside. Some front doors are often left unlocked when people are in and that makes it very easy for an opportunist thief to walk into your home. If you have a porch, locking the door can add an extra barrier.  

Lock your back door, conservatory, and entry ways on the side of your house so criminals cannot enter undetected by neighbours or digital doorbell cameras.  

You can register your digital doorbells and personal CCTV on our CCTV registry here. 

Keep car keys away from the front door and in a signal-blocking pouch. Many cars are stolen by ‘Relay attack’ meaning criminals can unlock your car without even entering your property. As you lock up, be sure to double check your car is locked and you have a steering lock in place.   

Remember in an emergency call 999 or report an incident via 101.   

For more safety tips about how to keep your property safe please click here. 

Patrols around school areas will resume once half term has concluded, and we will begin our activities by partnering with the traffic wardens in order to monitor, educate and potentially fine those who have parked their vehicles in dangerous positions during school hours. 

Speedwatch operations will continue as per normal on sporadic areas around the Stoke & Wyken area, these always tend to be around Clifford Bridge Road, Belgrave Road, Sewall and Hipswell Highway and Kynner Way, we monitor the messages we receive via our WMnow messaging system so please continue to send us roads which we haven't already considered so that we can either have Community Speedwatch taking place or those that would be more enforcable by Police Officers. 

Officers from the Stoke & Wyken neighbourhood team this week have had three arrests, now that Christmas is approaching, we will see an increase in retail crime so we will endeavour to arrest and apprehend shoplifters consistently, this will overall improve the safety of both community and businesses. 

CAN YOU HELP YOUR LOCAL NEIGHBOURHOOD TEAM? 

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Please visit our website to discover the best way for you to report concerns/crimes  

Live Chat | West Midlands Police (west-midlands.police.uk) 

How protecting your garden makes your home safer   

It may not seem obvious, but protecting your garden and outbuildings like sheds not only keeps bikes and other valuables safe, but can also stop burglars accessing tools to get into your home. 

Stay secure in summer 

Leaving ground floor windows, doors and patio doors open in the summer can give burglars the perfect opportunity.  If you’re upstairs or out of the room, even just for a few minutes, close them and help shut burglars out. 

Extra steps you can take 

Consider buying a shed alarm. These are usually quite cheap but still effective, add an extra layer of protection to shed windows with laminate sheets of film or internal metal grills. 

Create a natural defence against burglary by planting particular shrubs (in their mature or semi mature form) along garden walls and fences can make it harder for burglars to access your property or put them off completely. To maximise this effect plant them close to each other. 

We recommend planting any of the following: 

Live in a ground floor flat or share a communal garden? You can still make use of these tips by planting in front of ground floor windows to prevent easy access. 

Please be aware that this inbox is NOT monitored 24 hours a day and is purely for non-emergencies. In an emergency please call 999. To report a crime in a non-emergency situation please call 101 or visit Report a crime | West Midlands Police to do this online.    

📞 How to Contact Us or Report Information 📞 

Non-Emergency: 101 

Emergency: 999 / 112 (if crime in progress or immediate danger) 

Report Online: West Midlands Police 

Anonymous Reporting: Crimestoppers 

Kind Regards,    

The Stoke & Wyken Neighbourhood Policing Team