No Help for Crime Request

Councillor Phil Bateman said "Recently I received a resident who was concerned about the violent robbery that her son and his friends were subjected to on the Lichfield Road near to the Jehovah's Witnesses Religious Centre. The family informed me that her son and his two friends were robbed and beaten."

He went onto add" I also know that other offences have occurred on the Lichfield Road including the continued damage to public realm facilities like bus shelters. I therefore have asked the police to provide information relating to crime along this road from the Broadway through to Wards Bridge over a period.

In this way residents can see what the effect the incidents are having.

Also with a police analysts help, the crime can better be targeted, that is if there is any depth in crime along that stretch of Road?

I know the family of the Wednesfield resident is unhappy with some of the street scene like the laurel bushes on Ellards Land.They are looking not to have the trauma they have gone through repeated for other individuals and their families.

I have also been looking at other crime problems relating to vandalism of bus shelters in part of the Lichfield Road. In particular these two sites. The Bus Shelter located at the corner of Peacock Avenue and Lichfield Road. The information is interesting.

Damage logged in 2004

3 call outs for roof damage 9 incidents in total
6 glazing occurrences £695 total cost including call out

Damage logged in 2005

4 call outs for roof damage 11 incidents in total
1 electrical call out £730 total cost including call out
6 glazing occurrences

Damaged logged in 2006 (first 6 months)

2 call outs for roof damage
1 electrical call out 7 incidents in total
1 maintenance of timetable case £500 total cost including call out
3 glazing occurrences

It does strike me though that a much bigger piece of work is required looking at these types of incident and other crime as well.

Sadly the police are telling me that they are not in a position to agree this request as the work load is too great for the police analysts. So I turned to the City Council for help. There response is that they asked "the Information and Data Analyst to look at your request for data on the area you have highlighted. Unfortunately, at this time it is not possible to do it for the reasons the analyst has set out in her email below. It should be possible in the future, once we have the mapping system in place, but at this time I'm afraid it can't be done.Unfortunately, I don't have an alternative source apart from the Police."

Therefore I am in the same position I was in before, with a resident looking for action, a City Council unable to supply the information and West Midlands Police saying they do not have the resource to help.

Clearly I am not giving up this issue, that is not what is expected of me, but it will take longer to get the information than I thought. I will keep the community updated on this issue."