Almost 2,000 crime in stations
Police across the Black Country have been hit with 2,000 crimes in the past five years – in their own stations. Police across the Black Country have been hit with 2,000 crimes in the past five years – in their own stations. There have been more than 1,000 violent crimes and more than 400 cases of criminal damage at police premises in the region. Figures obtained by the Express & Star under the Freedom of Information Act also reveal there were three sexual crimes within Wolverhampton police stations in 2003, and even a robbery at a station in Smethwick in 2004. The bulk of the 1,947 crimes over the last five years are violent crimes. There were 1,146 recorded and many of them are thought to be attacks on police staff by prisoners. Read the full story in the Express & Star.
There have been more than 1,000 violent crimes and more than 400 cases of criminal damage at police premises in the region.
Figures obtained by the Express & Star under the Freedom of Information Act also reveal there were three sexual crimes within Wolverhampton police stations in 2003, and even a robbery at a station in Smethwick in 2004. The bulk of the 1,947 crimes over the last five years are violent crimes.
There were 1,146 recorded and many of them are thought to be attacks on police staff by prisoners.
Allegations of assault by police officers could also fall under that category.
Total crime has fallen at police stations across the Black Country – from a high of 592 in 2002 to just 276 last year.
The 451 records of criminal damage are thought to be largely down to prisoners venting their frustrations against police property in their cells.
The figures also suggested that 1,758 of the crimes had been "detected" – police terminology for solved.
Carl Bird from the Freedom of Information department at West Midlands Police said the figures should be treated with caution.
He said: "Recorded and detected crime should not be compared within the same year. The date of recorded offences is the date on which they are entered onto West Midlands Police systems. The date of detected offences is the date on which an individual or individuals have been arrested for the offence. Therefore offences may be detected in a later year than they are recorded.
"These stations differ in terms of size. Therefore comparing numbers of crimes can be misleading and does not necessarily indicate the likelihood of someone being a victim of crime.
"In addition, the number of crimes recorded in an area over a period of time can be influenced by a number of factors. Consequently statistics on crimes for one period may not necessarily be a good indicator of future incidents in that area.
