Crime hotspots named
West Bromwich High Street is the crime capital of the Black Country, according to figures obtained by the Express & Star, with an average of 11 crimes being reported every week.
And Walsall's Bridge Street is the most violent road in the region, with around 16 violent crimes a month being reported to police, according to statistics obtained using the Freedom of Information Act.
The Express & Star has received figures for the biggest crime blackspots in each of the eight policing districts of Dudley, Wolverhampton, Walsall and Sandwell, over a 44-week period from April 1, 2006 to January 31 this year.
Wallace Close in Oldbury had the worst record for domestic burglaries, with 15 break-ins recorded over the period.
Wolverhampton's biggest crime hotspot is Dudley Street, perhaps unsurprising given that it is the city's main shopping area, with 282 offences committed over the period.
Lichfield Street had the largest number of violent offences, with 66 crimes recorded, while Bushbury Lane had the highest number of house burglaries in the city, with 10 reported over the period.
Students will be concerned to find out that the area around the Wolverhampton University campus is a blackspot for both violent crime and domestic burglary.
The university halls in Lomas Street topped Wolverhampton West's league table for dwelling burglaries, with eight offences reported during the 10-month period, with a further six break-ins reported in North Road, which also includes halls of residence.
North Street, near the Civic Hall, suffered 32 incidents of violent crime over the period, while Jack Hayward Way was the scene of 26 acts of violence.
In Dudley borough, Stourbridge High Street had the highest crime rate with 272 offences committed, and also had the dubious honour of having the borough's greatest number of violent offences.
Dudley High Street had the second highest crime rate in the borough, with 218 offences recorded, followed by Grand Union Lower Mall at the Merry Hill Centre, and Hagley Road, Stourbridge.
The Broadway had the most domestic burglaries in Dudley North, while Halesowen's Ankerdine Court came out worst in Dudley South, with 10 offences committed in each neighbourhood.
Park Street had the highest number of crimes in Walsall, with 421 offences committed, while Sandwell Street in Highgate had the worst record for domestic burglaries, with 12 offences being committed.
Assistant manager of West Midlands Police Freedom of Information unit Carl Bird said the figures should be treated with caution.
"These roads differ in size, the number of people using or living in the area, and they may have different ethnic, cultural or economic compositions," he said.
"Comparing numbers of crimes can be misleading and does not necessarily indicate the likelihood of someone being a victim of crime."
Supt Bob Spencer said: "The figures are not based on a per head of population basis and they are therefore meaningless in terms of a true reflection of crime in any given area."
Many people in the areas concerned blamed a lack of a visible police presence for the levels of crime. But Mr Spencer said: "The introduction of neighbourhood policing across the force last year has seen local officers, including police community support officers, engage in more interaction with the people they serve."
