Wanted man spotted and arrested among successes from busy night of police action in Birmingham as members of public see work done by officers
It was a busy night for officers in north Birmingham as they caught a man wanted for robbery among the successes, with members of the public able to observe the work in action.
Three members of the public were given the opportunity to observe officers at work, and have recently joined teams who spent the night disrupting robbery and burglary in north Birmingham.
West Midlands Police said that dealing with those offences was a priority, especially in the Sutton and Erdington areas, and the three people, who are members of scrutiny panels that observe and give feedback on police work, joined neighbourhood officers at work on Friday night and Saturday morning.
They were also joined by officers from the proactive Birmingham crime-fighting team, Operation Skybridge, and the dedicated Roads Policing Unit.
The shift, beginning on the evening of Friday, February 27, started with a full briefing before the observers and officers went straight out on patrol.
Quickly, officers spotted a man wanted for robbery, who was detained and subsequently charged with eight separate offences.
Elsewhere , a vehicle was then stopped by officers as the two women inside had no driving documents. They were reported for traffic offences, while acting on intelligence about another vehicle, officers stopped and searched it, and one man was dealt with for drug offences.
Later, a third vehicle failed to stop for officers, which led to a pursuit around the area and eventually came to a stop in Walsall, where suspected stolen car keys and weapons were found.
It had previously been spotted travelling with a suspected stolen vehicle, so further searches were carried out, and officers discovered 27 car parts. Five people were arrested, and the force said enquiries into this are ongoing.
Neighbourhood Inspector Hayley Thompson, who organised the shift, said: “Our officers are carrying out this kind of activity on a daily basis, and I was really keen for members of the public who’d expressed an interested in our work, to see what they do first-hand.
“It was a busy shift, with some really positive results, and that’s something we’re determined to build on as we target robbery and burglary, as well as theft of, and from, vehicles.
“We’re targeting this type of crime in the area because we’ve listened to feedback from residents and we don’t underestimate the harm it can cause to people.
“As ever, I would urge anyone with concerns, or who wants to learn more about the work we’re doing to, to please get in touch with myself or the team.”
One of the observers, Zoe, said: “A great opportunity to see officers who are truly determined to go above and beyond in bringing those responsible for crime across the north of our city to justice.
“Their professionalism and dedication to the job are evident in everything they do.”
Another, Amrik, said: “‘I had a fantastic opportunity to spend time with West Midlands Police, gaining real insight into the challenges officers face and the incredible amount of joint work that goes on behind the scenes to keep our neighbourhoods safe.
“Experiences like this strengthen our partnership, help us improve how we share information."
