• Business Crime.
Driving down retail crime and bringing offenders to justice.
This includes not only shop thefts but violence and aggression towards retail staff and the prevention of harm towards staff and customers.

A prolific shoplifter was arrested, charged and remanded for 9 shoplifting offences this month for multiple offences they had committed at retailers across the Aldridge and Brownhills areas.
Targeted high-visibility patrols are continuing at these locations whilst liaising with retail staff to provide reassurance and deter & prevent further crimes.

• Anti social behaviour.

Across our neighbourhoods we have reports of ASB that range across various issues but ultimately may have the same effect on people, causing harassment alarm and distress.

At present we are focusing on utilising transport links that run back and forth to Walsall Wood, mainly the number 10 bus route, and working with Safer Travel officers to tackle areas of ASB, incuding Oak Park, local retail stores and restaurants.

We are conducting patrols to deter and prevent ASB within Aldridge Central where groups attend the precinct and around the bypass to cause a nuisance.

Action is being taken by way of regular and periodic patrols at locations. We are also conducting enquiries and obtaining CCTV footage to identify persons responsible.
This will be followed up with partner agency work, enforcement action, warning and agreements and home visits as required.

This month The Safer Travel team have attended home addresses of offenders who have been identified causing issues on the local bus networks and have issued civil injunctions.

In addition, Walsall Council has liaised with our partnership team and are carrying out visits to home addresses to issue warnings.

We have also conducted a transport operation with the Safer Travel, Transport Safety officers and British Transport Police, utilising the bus network between Lichfield Road Walsall Wood and Brownhills High Street. A number of youths were prevented from causing antisocial behaviour and were also removed off one of the bus routes for non-payment. We are also working with housing to conduct joint visits to some of the youths and look at tenancy breaches if required.

The team have been carrying out 1 to 1 inputs with youths at locals schools to address concerns and behaviours.

• Darker Nights crime.

We have had reports of car key burglaries in and around the Aldridge and Streetly areas and with darker nights here it becomes easier for offenders to utilise the cover of darkness to attempt to cause criminal activity.

Car key burglaries and vehicle crime historically increases as the days get darker and the nights get colder.

Patrol strategies are implemented to target areas of reported crime. High-visibility patrols and a higher police presence deter offenders from locations. Officers are patrolling your neighbourhoods during darker nights.

We have delivered crime prevention packs this month to residents and provided faraday pouches to assist in preventing vehicle crime.