West Midlands Police issues update on return of Birmingham Christmas Market

West Midlands Police issues update on return of Birmingham Christmas Market

Dear Resident,

We have been preparing for the reopening of Birmingham’s Christmas markets starting on Thursday (5 Nov) and would like to remind visitors to stay vigilant as they attend festive events across the city.

We expect there to be a significant increase in visitors heading to Birmingham and have been working with local partners including Birmingham City Council, British Transport Police and Birmingham Colmore to prepare for this influx. This includes setting up more plain clothes and covert patrols in and around the city centre.

Neighbourhood Policing Manager Ellis Turner said: “The return of the Christmas markets signals the start of festivities for the region, with thousands of visitors expected to attend holiday events across city in the November-to-December period.

“When visiting we would ask members of the public to remain vigilant for criminal activity. Keep any valuables close by and secure and keep an eye on family and friends.

“We all have a role to play in keeping each other safe so that everyone can enjoy the festive period."

Visitors to the markets may also spot specialist #ProjectServator officers carrying out pre-planned deployments.

They're trained to spot the signs of hostile reconnaissance - information gathering that may help someone plan or prepare to commit a crime.

Officers will be deployed alongside police dogs, drones and CCTV operators to disrupt criminality while providing a reassuring presence for those visiting the city centre.

They also work with local security teams, businesses and market staff to remind them to stay alert and report anything that concerns them straight away.

You can help by staying alert and if you see something that doesn't look right you can tell security or police, or report online at gov.uk/ACT.