Good Evening

Here is the latest crime update for the BLYTHE neighbourhood.

Blythe 17th – 25th July 2024

Burglaries

Between 02:00am and 08:00am on Friday 19th a burglary occurred on WOOD LANE EARLSWOOD. Offenders forced metal gates at the front of the property and then forced entry into a workshop / double garage where they have proceeded to take a large quantity of power / garden tools.

Vehicle Crime

Between 2:50pm and 3:10pm on Friday 19th a white FORD TRANSIT was broken into on FARMHOUSE WAY MONKSPATH. Offenders gained access and stole a quantity of power tools.

Between 1:00pm and 3:00pm on Saturday 20th the rear number plate from a silver MERCEDES C220 was stolen on FARMHOUSE WAY MONKSPATH.

At 5:40pm on Monday 22nd a white PEUGEOT PARTNER van was broken into at the BULLS HEAD on LIME KILN LANE EARLSWOOD and a laptop was stolen from inside.

GOOD NEWS

Officers from the St ALPHEGE and BLYTHE neighbourhood team were involved in the arrest of a prolific shoplifter responsible for over 50 offences in the SHIRLEY area.

CRIME PREVENTION

Don’t leave valuables inside vehicles. There has been a number of vans broken into on St ALPHEGE and BLYTHE where power tools and valuables have been taken from inside the vans.

Please check any garages that you own that aren’t attached to your house. These can be seen as an easy target as garages that are away from the houses aren’t overlooked. If you have anything valuable in them extra security measures would be a good idea. Lock bikes up that are inside and padlock tool boxes are 2 such measures. Good lighting can be a deterrent, one suggestion would be a dusk to dawn system so that you don’t even have to think about switching it on.

Remember, crime prevention is all about making it difficult for offenders to break in to your property or steal your vehicles. If they have to spend more time or make more noise than they want to they may give up and look elsewhere.

Always check you FOB HAS DONE ITS JOB and has locked your vehicle. Offenders are out there at night trying the handles looking for insecure vehicles.

Please consider anti-snap locks to all outside doors. Look for at least 3 stars and the Kitemark when purchasing them.

Put wheelie bins at the rear of your property away from gates and fences if you can. These can be used as a means to get over your fence and into your rear garden. 

If you have a side gate or a fence bordering your garden then think about something called PRIKA STRIP. This is strips of hard rubber spikes that can be run along flat surfaces such as gates, fences and roofs, anybody attempting to climb on or over will find it difficult to put their hands on the surface due to these spikes.

Please consider a good steering lock for your vehicles, and check that your vehicle is locked before you walk away from it.

Tamper proof screws for number plates are a good idea to protect number plates from being stolen.

Pickpockets and purse dippers are active in the town centre. Always make sure handbags are zipped up,never leave your handbag or purse unattended on a shopping trolley, pushchair or wheelchair. Always be aware of your surroundings and the people around you when withdrawing cash. A simple tactic against this type of crime is to attach small bells to your purse so that they jingle when purses are being moved.

If you use a bike to get out and about think about the lock that you secure it with. A D lock is one such lock. Simple chains can be cut through in seconds.

 Please take 5 mins to read about ways you can prevent burglary and vehicle theft

Residential burglary | Your Options | West Midlands Police (west-midlands.police.uk)

Theft of motor vehicle | Your Options | West Midlands Police (west-midlands.police.uk)

Follow us on Twitter @stalphegewmp

Kind Regards,

Pcso 30496 A. Alton

St Alphege NPT

Solihull Police Station