There has been a big rise in vehicle thefts in Streetly in recent days
A stock photo of a police car(Image: West Midlands Police)
Police have adopted a new tactic to fight a rise in vehicle thefts from driveways in part of Sutton Coldfield.
West Midlands Police said there had been an increase in vehicles being stolen in Streetly during the darker nights.
Now more police are being sent to the area in high-visibility patrols.
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The force said: “We are taking action with several of our teams working together after an increase in vehicle thefts in Streetly.
“Over the last week we have seen an increase in vehicle thefts from driveways in Streetly and surrounding areas. In response to this we have officers from our Road Crime Team deployed in the area at night.
“This team is supported by Operation Skybridge officers and neighbourhood officers from both our Aldridge and Brownhills teams as we look to tackle the issue.”
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Insp Nazia Kauser, neighbourhood policing manager at Aldridge, said: “There has been an increase in car thefts in the Streetly and surrounding areas recently.
“I have deployed my officers for high visibility patrols at night. We are supported by officers from our dedicated Road Crime Team and our Op Skybridge team and together we address the issues.
“We understand this is a concern for the community but I can assure them we are taking action.”
The police said road crime teams focused on serious vehicle crime using ‘intelligence-led’ tactics like automatic number plate recognition to intercept criminals, seizing stolen vehicles, and disrupting illegal activities like drug dealing or vehicle theft rings, working with other units for proactive operations and road safety.
Operation Skybridge is a crackdown on crimes such as burglary, robbery, vehicle and drug crime in a target area. They were deployed to work in the Sutton Coldfield area from last Saturday, December 13.
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Sgt Danny Fulford, from Operation Skybridge, said: “The Skybridge team provide a highly visible presence with uniformed and plain clothes officers in the area to deter criminal activity, make arrests and offer reassurance to the local community.
“The type of work Skybridge carry out is proactive policing, causing maximum difficulty and disruption to those who are doing the most harm to our communities, and the key to success is that the team work together excellently, and have shown that in each area they target, they are able to cause disruption to repeated crime.
“The team are always available to chat to people in the communities we’re serving, and if you see Skybridge officers around, they love a conversation, as they get to work in your area.
Anyone wanting to report vehicle crime is advised to ring 101, unless the crime is in progress in which case dial 999. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
Tips on stopping car thefts can be found on West Midlands Police’s dedicated vehicle crime page.
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A police spokesperson added; “Thieves are opportunists, looking for an easy way to steal items of value from an unlocked or unattended vehicle including Christmas presents.
“Every year, vehicles are stolen from driveways and outside homes when owners leave them to warm up with the key in the ignition.
“Car thieves watch the weather forecast too and will be out early in the morning on the lookout for vehicles left unattended.
“High value vehicles are often targeted in this way as their advanced security technology makes them difficult to steal unless they already have the engine running and the key in the ignition.
“Stay with your vehicle and if you’re in a rush, use de-icing spray and a scraper to speed up the process.
“Sit inside your vehicle while the heater de-mists the windscreen as your insurance may not pay out if you are in any way deemed responsible for the theft.”
