Keeping you safe during Aston Villa parade

Dear Resident,

If you, your family members or friends, are heading into the city today to celebrate the Aston Villa Europa League Win we want to share this message with you for your safety.

We’d like to congratulate Aston Villa's players, staff and fans following their Europa League win last night.

Along with partners including the club and the local authority, we have been planning ahead of the parade through the city today (21 May).
 

To help the parade go ahead safely and securely, we will have an increased police presence in Birmingham city centre around the parade route.
 

This includes our neighbourhood teams, mounted officers, roads policing, drones and dog units.
 

Chief Superintendent Kim Madill, in charge of the policing operation, said: “We want this to be a joyous occasion, and we want to add our congratulations to the players and staff from the club after their victory.
 

"We want everyone to get involved in the celebrations and enjoy the day safely.
 

"In addition to uniformed officers, we've also had teams out and about in the lead up to Thursday to let business and others know how they might be impacted.
 

“If you have any concerns or if you see anything that doesn't feel right, trust your instincts and let our officers know straight away and we will deal with it.”
 

As part of our work around the event, you’ll also see Project Servator deployments taking place regularly and unpredictably across Birmingham, so there’s nothing to worry about if you see extra police officers in the city.
 

Specialist Project Servator deployments use both uniformed and plain clothes police officers to spot the tell-tale signs that someone may be carrying out hostile reconnaissance or be about to commit a crime. 

Officers work with local businesses and members of the public to create a network of vigilance and provide a reassuring presence for football fans and those living, working and visiting the city.
 

You can play your part by trusting your instincts, and if you see or hear something that doesn’t feel right, tell security or police straight away. 
 

Our teams will take every report seriously and you won’t be wasting their time. In an emergency, always call 999.
 

Remember, our police horses should be respected and not antagonised.
 

Before you approach one of our horses, ask permission from the rider and stay where they can see you.
 

Always make sure children are accompanied while interacting with the horses and riders and always wash your hands if you touch them.
 

You must only touch the rider in an emergency. You may be committing a criminal offence if you touch the rider in any other circumstances. 
 

For full details of the parade route and road closures during the event, visit the Birmingham City Council and Aston Villa website and social media channels.