Stoke & Wyken - End of week update.

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

Officers from the Stoke & Wyken neighbourhood team have participated in a range of activities this week, including OpDriveSafe (Operation Drive Safe). On the 11th of November, we collaborated with traffic units and officers to seize a significant number of vehicles and take legal action against individuals driving without valid insurance. These operations occur intermittently, similar to our Speedwatch initiatives conducted on roads such as Clifford Bridge, Belgrave Road, Kynner Way, and Humber Road. 

We have made two arrests this week and have also dealt and managed four individuals in custody, all of whom were charged with shop theft. 

Officers have also taken part in Safer Business Action (SaBA) Week. 

SaBA Week is an integral part of the continuous police and partnership initiative aimed at diminishing retail crime, antisocial behaviour, and other offenses that affect businesses within local communities. The activities during SaBA represent a collaborative effort involving police, businesses, private security, business crime reduction partnerships (BCRPs), and business improvement districts (BIDs) to concentrate resources in specific areas for a substantial positive effect. The goal for each day is to implement a targeted operation featuring joint patrols, interventions aimed at offenders, and crime prevention initiatives. This year, we have pledged to conduct over 60 days of police operations within a single week throughout the West Midlands. Each local policing area has leveraged existing partnerships with agencies and retailers to formulate proactive strategies for the upcoming week, pooling resources to ensure the success of the week of action.  

We have dedicated time to engage with various businesses in the Ball Hill vicinity along Walsgrave Road, extending down to the collection of shops near Longfellow Road. 

Officers also provided support at the Ricoh Arena on the 13th of November regarding the Bob Dylan concert, although there was a very large attendance, there did not appear to be any issues of concern during the event. 

We also attended the War Memorial Park on Kenilworth Road on the 9th of November for Remembrance Sunday, this was to honour and pay respects to those who lost their lives in conflict. 

Following the service, we carried out visible patrols around the Square, engaging with local businesses and members of the public to provide reassurance and strengthen community relations. 

Storm Claudia is in full affect around the West Midlands area, Coventry has also been buffeted by lots of heavy rain and wind, and so we encourage drivers to plan their travel journeys in advance, there may be a number of road closures, fallen trees, debris and other circumstances which may cause disruption. 

Certain communities may find themselves 'cut off' due to floodwaters, and driving conditions are expected to be hazardous.  

Please also anticipate potential cancellations of train or bus services during this period. 

Along side the weather being problematic, there are a number of road closures around the Stoke & Wyken area and also Coventry in general, some roads are experiencing flooding so please ensure you give your journeys extra time and drive carefully/slowly and provide extra distance when behind other vehicles. 

Although the weather has not been particularly pleasant we have continued our patrols in full stride in order to keep our communities safe, 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. 

As darker nights continue we are encouraging our community to be extra vigilant and take this as a timely opportunity to review your own home security. 

Review your home security 🏠 

We urge all residents to take a few simple, effective steps to protect your property and deter criminals. 

Naturewatch 

During our patrols around the St Michaels Churchyard, we have been speaking to a number of local residents who informed us that they have seen a family of badgers. Generally the scarcity of rain causes such creatures to remain elusive, however due to the heavy onset of rain recently, this may have encouraged them to come out of hiding. They are not a protected species and will often have a tough, tenacious and intelligent demeanour. 

The first formal scientific description of the most common species, the European badger (Meles meles), was by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 work Systema Naturae, where he initially classified it under the genus Ursus (bears) as Ursus meles.   

Above portrait of Carl Linnaeus est 1775   

He is known as the "father of modern taxonomy"  

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