New Sergeant

New Sergeant

Dear Resident,

I hope this finds you well.

My name is Sergeant Reeves, and I am excited to introduce myself as the new Sergeant of the Erdington Neighbourhood Team.

Firstly, I want to say thank you to Sergeant James Hurdrige for all his hard work over the past year in looking after Erdington.

Allow me to provide you with a brief summary of my background. I have been working with West Midlands Police for 19 years, starting as a Special Constable in 2005. Following that, I transferred to Warwickshire and served an additional seven years there. In 2007, I joined West Midlands Police full time and began working as a call handler and front office staff member. Over time, I progressed to the role of dispatcher until 2018 when I became a Police Officer.

Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with various neighbourhood teams, and I am now eager to take on the responsibility of overseeing the Erdington area. However, I want to emphasise that while my team and I will be responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of the community, we cannot do it alone. We rely on the support of our partner agencies and, equally importantly, the collaboration of the community.

We require your support in reporting matters so that we are aware of any issues within your community. Please be aware we may not be able to attend all reports, this may be due to other commitments. By informing us of problems in your community can assist us in providing supporting evidence to facilitate us requesting additional patrols from other departments.

By working together as a community and actively looking after our area, we can create a better and safer place to live. Your involvement is crucial, and I encourage you to engage with us through the following avenues:

Sign up for our FREE neighbourhood policing alerts: These alerts provide you with updates about crime, safety advice, and important information specific to your community. I highly recommend taking advantage of this valuable service by signing up at www.wmnow.co.uk

Establish a StreetWatch in your area: StreetWatch is a community-led project comprised of volunteers aged 18 and above. These groups patrol their respective areas to help prevent crime and address anti-social behaviour. StreetWatch volunteers contribute significantly to maintaining community safety. Patrols are always conducted by at least two individuals, and each group designates a coordinator. If the group sees suspicious or criminal activity, they report it to police. If you want to find out more about StreetWatch, please contact your local neighbourhood policing team.

Establish a Neighbourhood Watch: Neighbourhood Watch is one of the UK’s largest community crime prevention initiatives. It is not run by the police, but has dedicated members of staff working with it. Every Neighbourhood Watch group is different because each is owned and run by the people of its community. Members of the public and their neighbours come together to make their area a safe and pleasant place to live. Groups decide what measures to take because they know what their community needs best. Local groups also draw on support from police, local authorities, fire and rescue services, the voluntary sector and other volunteers. You can find out more about how to get involved at www.ourwatch.org.uk.

Consider joining an Independent Advisory Group (IAG): An Independent Advisory Group (IAG) is a self-governing group made up of people from local communities who provide independent advice to the police. Groups reflect the make-up of our communities and members have a connection with a particular community or communities and an understanding of the issues relevant to them. Membership of the group is on a voluntary basis. IAGs cover a geographical area and only policing matters within the policing area will be discussed. To find out more about an IAG in your area, please call 101 and ask to speak to the Consultation and Engagement Officer for your area.

For more information on how to get involved in any of these initiatives, please visit Get Involved | West Midlands Police (west-midlands.police.uk) If you wish to sign up for policing alerts, please visit www.wmnow.co.uk. Remember, if you come across a crime or observe anti-social behaviour that does not require an emergency response, please call 101 or Live Chat at www.west-midlands.police.uk. In case of emergencies, please dial 999. To report a crime anonymously, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

I am excited about the opportunity to serve as your Sergeant and contribute to the safety and well-being of the Erdington community. Your active participation and collaboration are essential to achieving our shared goal of creating a safer and more secure environment for everyone. I look forward to working with you and getting to know the community better.

Best regards,

Sergeant Reeves of the Erdington Neighbourhood Team

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John Reeves
(Police, Sergeant, Erdington Neighbourhood team)