Ashmore Park Police Liaison Committee Met Last Night

Last night at the Ashmore Park Police Liaison Committee there was concern raised by the continued attacks on bus shelters in the Ward.

Councillor Phil Bateman said "One resident explained how a bus shelter was being attacked recently. One of the residents on Ashmore Park were witnessing the event and rang the police.

The Police were informed and told the resident that " we haven't the resources, and units are at a higher rated incident."

There was much debate about this reply and an argument developed that suggested that this type of action would demoralise the public.

West Midlands Police were in attendance and they listened to the comments being made. They put counter arguments that it was important that the public continued to inform them when crime was committed. Some residents gave examples of the police of when they reported crime, it was not logged correctly.

Others spoke of their experience when they were informed that crimes they were reporting were 'not crimes' all!. One resident told the police that a man was attacking him and trying to break into his house. The 'log' when checked had no description of that sort entered?

The debate raged for quite a while. The police were explaining that they did not have 'unlimited resources'. That they were doing their best. The audience accepted that was the case. But there was still disquiet over the events as they had been described.

My thoughts are about the under recording of crime. How can you get a true picture of what is going on if crime is firstly not recorded correctly and second if it is not recorded at all?

I think that one of the questions required, is to find out about criminal damage, and plot against it any rise in the crime, but perhaps more importantly what the detection rate is? Perhaps then we can get a real feel to what is happening with regard to this type of crime in Wednesfield North."