St Alphege 6th – 14th November 2025 Burglaries Between 1:00pm on Thursday 6th and 10:30pm on Saturday 8th November an offender has entered an apartment block on HOMER RD and taken a package which had been left in a safe place. Between the morning of Thursday 13th and 4:10pm on Friday 14th a burglary occurred on CHELVESTON CRESCENT. Offenders have smashed the glass in a rear door and made a tidy search of the property. It is unknown at this time if anything has been stolen. Vehicle Crime There has been no reported vehicle crime. Other crimes A number of other crimes have been reported us over this period such as shoplifting, possession of cannabis, assaults, intimidating a witness and criminal damage. GOOD NEWS 2 men were arrested in the town centre after they had taken an elderly lady from her home to a bank as they had convinced her to withdraw thousands of pounds for work, they told her they had carried out. Both men were charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and kidnap and have been remanded in custody. 2 prolific shoplifters have been arrested and charged for offences in the town centre. We have held 2 speedwatch sessions on SHELLY CRESCENT where 264 vehicles were checked with 24 recorded speeding on the 20mph road and on ALDERBROOK ROAD where 9 vehicles out of 201 were recorded speeding. We have been on patrol with the ALDERBROOK STREET WATCH team which resulted in a Vauxhall Van being towed away for not being raxed. Beat surgeries this month will be held at THE CORE on Wednesday 19th at 10am and at SMITHTONS FOOD MARKET PROSPECT LANE on Saturday 29th at 10am. CRIME PREVENTION Darker Nights are now upon us so please follow these simple crime prevention guidelines. Don’t leave your house in darkness, this is a clear sign that the house could be empty. Timer switches for lamps are a useful item to use so that lighting comes on while you’re out. Wifi enabled systems can also be used to switch your lights on. And off. Please consider anti-snap locks to all outside doors. Look for at least 3 stars and the Kitemark when purchasing them. 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. 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. As the shops start to get busier pickpockets and purse dippers will become more active in the town centre. Always make sure handbags are zipped, 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. 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. Don’t leave valuables in unattended vehicles. Tamper proof screws for number plates are a good idea to protect number plates from being stolen. Please consider a good steering lock for your vehicles, and check that your vehicle is locked before you walk away from it. 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. Now that winter is coming tools will be locked away in sheds and outbuildings. Protect your sheds with good quality locks and battery operated alarms that are activated with vibrations. Chain property together so that it cannot be easily removed. Don’t leave tools in insecure sheds, these can be used to break into locked sheds. 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. Cheap locks are cut through in seconds and even stronger chains put up little resistance to bolt cutters. Bike theft generally increases with the better weather as people start to get out on them more. 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/ Follow us on Twitter @stalphegewmp | 
