Crime continues to be concentrated around Chelmsley town centre

THE area around Chelmsley Wood town centre has a crime rate almost twice that of anywhere else in Solihull, a new report has revealed.
Figures show that 1,699 offences were recorded in the area over a 12 month period – slightly down on the previous year, but still a significantly higher number than in any other of the borough’s priority areas.
A high proportion of incidents are centred at the town’s shopping centre, the numbers somewhat skewed by the sheer number of shoplifting offences at Asda and neighbouring stores.
However, even when these retail crimes are taken out of the equation, a significant number of reports of offences are still being logged on neighbouring estates.
The report offers a detailed overview of crime across the borough and was prepared by the Safer Solihull Partnership.

It acknowledges that there is still work to be done to address the disproportionate number of incidents taking place in a relatively small area.
It said: “Although the Chelmsley Town Partnership Plus area has seen reductions in total recorded crime, this remains a location where the partnership need to focus their attention in order to… continue to reduce the gap of inequality in volume of crime between this area and other key locations within the borough.”
The findings come at a time when police budgets are under increasing pressure.
Chelmsley Wood Police Station lost its front office facilities almost 12 months ago and former Kingshurst councillor David Jamieson, now the region’s Police and Crime Commissioner, has warned of a further strain on finances to come.
“The Government need to consider how much money police forces require to keep people safe rather than administer arbitrary cuts,” he said.
The statistics also reveal:
• Rates of criminal damage are higher in Chelmsley Wood than any other part of Solihull – with 14
attacks on buses reported in the Moorend Avenue area.
• 16 per cent of crimes in the Chelmsley Town Partnership Plus area are classed as domestic violence offences.
• 15 per cent of burglaries reported in Solihull are carried out within this zone.
Councillor Chris Williams (Green,Chelmsley Wood) said: “Chelmsley Wood has a busy shopping centre and so naturally has more potential for crime and much is committed by people from outside Chelmsley Wood.
“But that’s not the only area or crime. We do have real problems with off road motorbikes being used
antisocially that the police don’t seem to be able to get a grip on.
“With the severe Government cuts to the police we are losing yet more police officers, which is definitely going to mean a crime rate higher than it would otherwise be.”