Car Thefts Concern Residents

Residents were alarmed to find out that there had been a large number of Motor thefts from Ashmore Park over the last few months.

Councillor Phil Bateman reported that “West Midlands police informed a packed meeting of residents at Coppice Close Community Centre that there had bee n a large number of motor thefts from Ashmore Park over the last few months.

Police told the Ashmore Park police Liaison Committee that a number of cars and other items had been stolen from garage sites. Indeed 4 motor vehicles had been stolen from just two garage sites.

Nearly all the vehicles that were being stolen were of older makes, the police put this down to the increase in scrap value that cars were now making these days.”

Dave Jones a Labour election candidate for Wednesfield North closely questioned the police about how they were combating this rise in car thefts?

The police reported that they had set up a new unit to combat these types of thefts. That the community should be aware that there has been some success in detecting who had been responsible for some of the crime and two arrests had been made.

The Officers told Dave Jones and the meeting that they felt that the new unit was very much on top of the crime now. Councillor Phil Bateman commenting further on the situation said “Some of these thefts may have been prevented if the security gates were locked when the garage s were not in use. The city Council had spent many thousands of £’s on Security measures at these Council owned garage sites. These measures would not work if the security gates were left open by users. Keys and locks only worked if they were used.

He urged residents to be vigilant and help the police deter and detect thieves, by noting suspicious behaviour and forming citizens watch schemes.”