Councillors representing Woodlands ward have convened an emergency summit with senior police figures in Coventry after a sharp spike in crime was revealed. Councillors Lepoidevin, Male and Ridley will meet Richard North, Superintendent of the Coventry Neighbourhood Policing Unit. During the meeting, they’ll ask officers to explore options to improve the situation and re-assure the public.
Councillors say they’ve been inundated with reports of vehicles being broken into and items being stolen. The most serious report involved the mugging of a young local boy on his way home from school. Usually a quieter part of the city, statistics released by West Midlands Police for January show that there were 15 recorded vehicle offences, 11 violent offences, 3 burglaries and 44 offences recorded as ‘miscellaneous offences’. Many residents have disputed these figures claiming the real crime level is much higher.
It’s emerged that West Midlands Police are so alarmed by the sudden crime wave they’ve increased the number of plain clothed and uniformed officers in the area. They’ve even requested additional resources from the rest of the region to deal with the crisis.
Speaking ahead of the meeting Woodlands ward councillor, Cllr Julia Lepoidevin said; “Were very grateful to the police for agreeing to meet us. Although we meet our local police team regularly we’ve requested a high-level meeting to elevate the concerns expressed by residents. Recently, we’ve received numerous reports of criminal activity in the area which is extremely unusual. We’re taking these reports very seriously, we’d urge residents to remain calm but vigilant and contact the emergency services if they suspect criminal behaviour is taking place.”
Fellow Woodlands ward councillor, Cllr Peter Male said; “As a resident of Eastern Green, and the owner of a van containing valuable tools related to my work, I am extremely concerned by this increase in criminal activity. I can assure residents that we’re working closely with our Community Police team who acknowledge there’s been a spike in criminal activity in Woodlands ward. In response, they’ve already increased police numbers in the area and taken several other measures that include: improved offender management, working closely with local schools and liaising with parents and local housing authorities.”
Also, concerned, Cllr Gary Ridley said; “I was burgled just before Christmas last year, it happened on the same day a friend passed away and it was a dreadful experience for my family. We simply cannot, and will not, allow criminality to gain a foothold in our community and we’re working closely with the police to identify solutions to this situation. Although people should always contact the emergency services directly to report a crime, we’d like to hear from residents about the experiences they’ve had.”