St Alphege 18th May – 27th May 2025

Burglaries

On Sunday 18th May on Ladbrook Road between 01:00 and 08:30 offenders have snapped the lock on the front door of the property and then gained entry through a slightly garage door leading to the kitchen where they have removed keys for a red BMW and used them to steal the vehicle. On Monday 19th May around 21:25 on Whitefields Road an unknown offender has entered the property by forcing the side door of the property. The offender has then entered the bedroom of the property where the occupant was sleeping, the occupant has then woken up and scared the offender where they have made off from the property. Overnight between Wednesday 21st May and Thursday 22nd May on Kirton Grove offenders have gained access to the property by snapping the lock on the rear door of the property when they have located the keys to a Grey BMW and then used them to steal the vehicle from the drive.

Vehicle Crime

In the morning of Sunday 25th May on Habberley Croft occupants were awoken by the sound of the vehicle alarm going off. Occupant has then gone downstairs where they have seen the offender in the vehicle and has shouted at them to get out of the vehicle when the offender has then exited the vehicle and made good their escape.

Other crimes

A number of other crimes have been reported to us over this period such as shoplifting, assaults, criminal damage, domestic related assaults, drug related crime and knife crime

GOOD NEWS

Over the set we have been patrolling and engaging with the stall holders and people who visited the Solihull Food and Music Festival which was held over Tudor Grange Park on the Bank Holiday weekend. We have carried out a number of Speedwatch sessions, the Monkspath and Hillfield group carried out a session on Monkspath Hall Road where out of 965 vehicles only 1 was caught speeding at 41mph. We also carried out an earlier than usual Speedwatch session on Dorchester Road, following information from local residents regarding concerns for people speeding in the early hours, we started the session at 07:00 following which we have written to 22 registered keepers for speeding with the fastest being 53mph on a 30mph road. We were out patrolling with the Alderbrook Streetwatch group where officers were drawn to a badly parked van blocking the footpath which after further checks we found it had no MOT, Tax or insurance, this vehicle was recovered for having no tax.

UPCOMING EVENTS

The next Beat Surgery is on Saturday 31st May between 10:45am and 11:45am at Smithtons Food Market Prospect Lane.

CRIME PREVENTION

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. 

Please consider anti-snap locks to all outside doors. Look for at least 3 stars and the Kitemark when purchasing them.

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.

Don’t leave valuables in unattended vehicles.

Please consider a good steering lock for your vehicles, and check that your vehicle is locked before you walk away from it.

If you are going to be out when it gets darker please consider timer switches for your lamps. There are also other devices that do the same job that can be linked to wifi. 

Don’t leave your house in darkness, this is a clear sign that the house could be empty.

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. 

With the nicer weather and lighter evenings now upon us, more of us will be keen to get back on our bikes. 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. Bike theft generally increases with the better weather as people start to get out on them more.

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.

Tamper proof screws for number plates are a good idea to protect number plates from being stolen.

Pickpockets and purse dippers are active in the town centre. Always make sure handbags are zipped up,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.

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/

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