Tag: policing

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NEWS: Police arrest two men over attack by Village Green in Erdington Town Centre

Words by Erdington Local editorial team

Police cordon off area of Erdington High Street following reports of an assault / Photograph supplied by Erdington bid

West Midlands Police have confirmed they have arrested two men over an attack by the Village Green in Erdington Town Centre last week.

The force further confirmed the men are “in custody” and will be facing questions on “suspicion of wounding”, which can carry maximum jail terms of between five years to life imprisonment – depending on the severity and intent of the assault.

On Wednesday 2 July, emergency services responded to a call regarding a violent altercation between individuals on the pedestrian area near Oikos Café and The Swan Pub, with police cordoning of a large section of the High Street whilst investigating.

Broken pieces of Dragons Stout beer bottle found behind police tape at crime scene on Erdington High Street / Photograph supplied by Erdington BID

Erdington Local was also at the scene and was by told by staff from local businesses in the area, who witnessed the incident, how one man took an empty bottle of Dragon Stout beer from a rubbish bin and used it to attack another man following a verbal altercation.

An Erdington Street Warden, who works with Erdington Business Improvement District (BID) to help support and secure the Town Centre, was also at the scene and administered first aid to one man – who was seen to have “a pool of blood” coming from his back.

To read Erdington Local’s initial article following the reported attack, click here.

Police tape off pedestrianised area around crime scene on Erdington High Street / Photograph supplied by Erdington BID

After a week of investigating and enquiries, a spokesperson from West Midlands Police has now confirmed that arrests have been made and those responsible for any crime will be questioned and processed accordingly.

West Midlands Police told: “Operation Fearless officers have arrested two men after an assault on Erdington High Street, where a man was attacked with a glass bottle outside a pub on 2 July.

“He was taken to hospital with injuries that thankfully, were not life-changing.

“We’ve been carrying out a thorough investigation and this morning (9 July) officers from Operation Fearless arrested two men aged 35 and 58.

“They are both currently in custody being questioned on suspicion of wounding.”

Suspected blood and broken glass on the pedestrianised area inbetween Oikos Cafe and The Swan pub / Photograph supplied by Erdington BID

They added: “Operation Fearless, which recently expanded to the Southside area of Birmingham, continues to support colleagues in Erdington and together they are committed to making it the safest possible area for people to live and work.

“Fearless and our dedicated Erdington High Street team will be continuing patrols around the area as we support #SaferStreetsSummer.

“If you have information about crime in the area, call us on 101.”

A spokesperson for the Erdington BID, which is supported by local retailers and businesses, told: “There are legitimate concerns from local businesses that the space by the Village Green is in danger of becoming a hotspot for crime and anti-social behaviour.”

“Over recent weeks, there has been a rise of incidents and reports made over issues around the Village Green area, after Operation Fearless has driven certain activities and individuals out of the centre of the High Street.”

Area between The Swan pub and Borch Electrical store known to be used by street drinkers / Photograph suppliued by Erdington BID

They added: “Erdington BID is in constant talks with the local police teams and wider units, as well as the Operation Fearless team and other partners, to increase police presence and enforcement in the area.

“We welcome the extra efforts being made and the increasing partnership work between uniformed officers on patrol in the Town Centre and our own Steet Wardens – alongside our incredibly resilient retailers.

“There has been a very positive change made on Erdington High Street after Operation Fearless and everyone, including the police, are 100% committed to moving forward and not backwards.”

For more on the local police in the Erdington visit www.westmidlands.police.uk/area/your-area/west-midlands/birmingham/erdington

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NEWS: “Incident” by Village Green leaves part of Erdington High Street cordoned off as emergency services respond

Police cordon off area of Erdington High Street following reports of an assault / Photgraph supplied by Erdington Local

Words by Erdington Local editorial team

An “incident” on the pedestrianised area by the Village Green left part of Erdington High Street cordoned off by police on Wednesday 2 July.

Blue and white police tape stopped shoppers from walking through the crime scene at around 1:30pm yesterday, as emergency services responded to a 999 call from a local business – following reports of two men fighting in the street.

Blood and broken glass could be seen in the centre of the High Street, with several local people reporting a man had been “stabbed” with a broken bottle.

Police tape was finally removed from the area and members of the public were allowed back onto the concourse at around 3pm.

Broken glass and what is believed to be blood seen behind blue and white police tape aftre incident on Erdington High Street / Photograph supplied by Erdington Local

A spokesperson from West Midlands Police told: “We were called to Erdington High Street at around 1.30pm yesterday (2 July) following reports a man had been assaulted.

“It’s believed he was attacked with a glass bottle… and he was taken to hospital with injuries thankfully not believed to be life-changing.”

They added: “A full investigation has started with officers reviewing CCTV and speaking to witnesses.

“Anyone with information should contact us on 101 quoting crime reference 20/295081/25.”

A spokesperson from West Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed: “We were called to an incident on High Street in Erdington at 1.30pm and sent an ambulance and paramedic officer to the scene.

“On arrival, crews found a man who they treated for serious, but not life-threatening injuries, before conveying him to hospital.”

Police tape on lamppost near crime scene on pedestrianised area of Erdington High Street / Photgraph supplied by Erdington Local

West Midlands Police were also quick to attend the scene, with people in the area saying the response teams arrived “in a few minutes” and began gathering local intelligence.

Erdington Local was also at the scene and was told the incident had been filmed by members of the public and it was hopped the man responsible for the attack could be clearly identified.

It was also reported that the Erdington Street Warden on duty at the time was one of the first at the scene and was quick to administer first aid the victim – who was seen to have “a pool of blood” coming out from underneath his clothes on his back.

Staff from local businesses in the area, who witnessed the reported assault, told Erdington Local how after a verbal altercation between two men, one man took an empty bottle of Dragon Stout from a rubbish bin and used it to attack the other man.

Broken pieces of Dragons Stout beer bottle found behind police tape at crime scene on Erdingotn High Street / Photograph supplied by Erdington Local

Erdington Local could see broken parts of a Dragons Stout bottle – a high percentage beer that is mainly sold in off-licences and not in any of the neighbouring licenced premises – on the ground next to a small pool of what looked like drying blood.

People in the area further informed our reporter that before the fight they had seen the attacker sitting on a small wall in between the Borch Electrical store and The Swan pub – where the rubbish bin is located.

Neither businesses have been implicated in the incident by any emergency service.

The bin had been put there by local volunteers to help tackle the rising rubbish, including empty bottles and fast-food packaging, around the growing hotspot for street drinking and visible drug taking.

Several local residents and businesses vocalised to Erdington Local they believe the area is becoming troublesome in part after anti-social behaviour has been displaced from other areas of the Town Centre by the recent police initiative, Operation Fearless.

Area between The Swan and Borch Electrical store known to be used by street drinkers / Photograph supplied by Erdington Local

The sunny weather is also cited as a potentially exacerbating factor, although people are known to gather in the area during all conditions.

A spokesperson for the Erdington Business Improvement District (BID), which is supported by local retailers and pays for the Street Wardens, confirmed the area has been highlighted to local law enforcement who took the situation “very seriously” and had promised to address concerns over criminality there.

Only a few days previously, on Tuesday 24 June, police had responded to reports of another “disorder” in the area, where officers confirmed they “arrested two men aged 32 and 39, and recovered two knives” – adding that “thankfully, no-one was seriously injured.”

Area covered by the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in a around Erdingotn Town Centre / Image supplied by West Midlands Police

The High Street around the Village Green falls inside the ‘restricted zone’ of the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), that covers Erdington Town Centre and some of the surrounding streets.

A PSPO is a widely used law enforcement tool, which gives local police more powers to tackle anti-social behaviour and to remove repeat offenders from the designated area.

Erdington Local has asked West Midlands for any updates or developments surrounding the incident on Wednesday 2 July.

For more on the local police in the Erdington visit www.westmidlands.police.uk/area/your-area/west-midlands/birmingham/erdington

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NEWS: Responsibility for crime fighting strategy in Erdington to stay with Police and Crime Commissioner after courts reject Home Office appeal

Words by Erdington Local editorial team / Pics by Ed King

The responsibility for a strategy to fight crime in Erdington and across the West Midlands will stay with the Police and Crime Commissioner’s (PCC) office, after the Court of Appeal rejected a Home Office appeal which would have seen the role taken over by the West Midlands Mayor.

On Friday 22 March, judges at the Court of Appeal denied legal requests made by the Home Office that countered a previous High Court ruling, made earlier in March, blocking the Government from amalgamating the PCC’s office into the West Midlands Combined Authority’s portfolio.

The argument presented by the Home Office was that the Mayor’s office could be more effective in supporting a crime strategy, alongside their other roles and responsibilities across the region.

However, the legal battle began when Labour’s incumbent PCC for the West Midlands, Simon Foster, challenged the Home Office over their decision to combine the roles – arguing the required consultation had not been honoured and repeatedly calling the move a “hostile takeover.”

At the time, Mr Foster said: “The Mayor’s hostile takeover of PCC powers represents nothing more than his own personal vanity project and it is in no-one’s interests, save that of the Mayor. I am concerned that this hostile takeover will mean more cuts, more chaos and more crime.”

He added: “This is a matter that is entirely of the Mayor’s own making. I have repeatedly advised him against this shocking waste of taxpayers’ money. The Home Secretary and the Mayor are more than happy to spend taxpayers’ money on legal costs when it suits them.

“The people of the West Midlands will be rightly concerned that the Mayor’s cynical, divisive, unnecessary and undemocratic power grab, that has never secured a local democratic mandate in the West Midlands, would waste up to a shocking £3.5 million.”

England and Wales saw the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) in 2012, following campaign pledges made by both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to reform policing procedure in the 2010 General Election.

Mr Foster was voted as PCC for the West Midlands in May 2021, retraining the role for Labour since it first came into being in 2012.

However, last November the Home Secretary, James Cleverly, agreed with requests made by the West Midlands’ Conservative Mayor, Andy Street, for the West Midlands Combined Authority to absorb the PCC’s responsibilities – which became possible following the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act passed in 2023.

Most local police forces are represented by a Police and Crime Commissioner, but since the change in legislation last year, London, Manchester, and West Yorkshire have all devolved the powers of the PCC to the regional Mayor’s office.

But in what could be seen as an overtly political move, to take regional policing powers away from the Labour Police and Crime Commissioner and transfer it to the Conservative Mayor, has created frustration on both sides of the aisle.

Richard Parker is the Labour candidate for Mayor and if he beats Andy Street in the elections on 2 May, he will now be in the position of having fewer powers due to a Labour PCC’s legal challenge.

A Labour source told Erdington Local: “Simon Foster’s legal challenge was the last thing we needed.

“It has confused the optics of the election. We are favourites to win the mayoral election so it is not about Mr Street but about the office of Mayor.

“And if we win it feels like we have shot ourselves in the foot before starting on our first day.”

The source added: “Simon (Foster) had a good run as PCC, especially as he was a Corbyn man who stayed long after the party had changed, and sometimes you should just accept time’s up.”

Erdington Local met with West Midlands Mayor Andy Street on Thursday 21 March, at his first public address on his re-election campaign – held at Stockland Green School on Slade Road.

When asked about the challenge made my Mr Foster over the region’s police and crime responsibilities being moved over to the Mayor’s office, he said: “This should have been straightforward. Mayors in London, Manchester, Leeds, and soon Sheffield, all have the powers of the PCC now. However, we have got ourselves into a process which involves a legal battle.

“I have no interest in processes, I just wanted to get on trying to cut crime in the West Midlands because the PCC has around for 12 years and obviously does not work because crime has gone up.”

He added: “I am deeply disappointed with Simon (Foster) for legally challenging the Home Office decision. This is not my legal case, or appeal, the Home Office lodged the appeal. And now we are all in the courts hands, but it is no way a done deal and I am confident they could win.

“People are worried about crime. This would have made sense in the battle against crime in the West Midlands. The mayor, just like in London and Manchester, is in the best position to deliver policies in fighting crime.”

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NEWS: Public Space Protection Order finally back on Erdington High Street

Words & pics by Ed King

After years of campaigning, Erdington High Street and the surrounding streets are now back under a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) – giving local law enforcement greater powers in tackling street crime, drinking, and anti-social behaviour.

Following a combined effort from the Erdington Business Improvement District (BID), Erdington Ward Councillors Robert Alden and Gareth Moore, and members of the North Local Partnership Delivery Group (LPDG) – working alongside West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council – Erdington’s PSPO was finally approved and back in operation from Monday, 16 May.

Brought in under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, a PSPO allows local police teams to forcibly remove anyone from the ‘Restricted Area’ they suspect are intoxicated, behaving aggressively, or causing problems for other people – without an official crime being reported.

Starting on the corner of Oakfield and Wood End Road, the PSPO for Erdington covers from Orchard Road and across Sutton New Road – encompassing Abbey Catholic Primary School and Highclare School – then back up Summer Road to Six Ways Island and Erdington High Street.

With the previous PSPO running out in 2018, many residents, businesses, and constituency stakeholders have been championing to have it reinstated.

The latest application being submitted in December 2021, following a period where objections against the order could be heard.

But despite seeming to be a unified ambition, there have historically been some objections against the PSPO in Erdington which stymied the process of reinstating the order.

Several reasons for the four year delay have been suggested, with Terry Guest, Erdington Town Centre Manger, previously telling Erdington Local:

“There’s a few stories about why it hasn’t been renewed. One is that someone objected on the grounds that the PSPO included beggars, and there was an objection against the human rights of beggars – because initially the order included the removal of beggars off the High Street.

“No one should be homeless, and we’ve done quite a lot of work with the police and their partners in helping people who are homeless.

“There’s another aspect to this and that’s professional begging, where people aren’t homeless, aren’t poor, and are begging on the High Street as a crime basically.”

Policing across the West Midlands has been slashed since 2010, with the regionwide budget losing £175m over the last 12 years. Over 2200 police officers have been lost, including around half of all officers allocated to neighbourhood and community policing.

With policing resources stretched and response teams taking priority, many have felt the PSPO would give much needed support to those officers still patrolling Erdington High Street.

However, even after the PSPO was passed at the end of 2021 the order still required Birmingham City Council to install signage before it could be enforced – which took nearly another six months.

Special training for local business owners was also needed from West Midlands Police, working alongside the Erdington Street Warden, Erdington Street Pastors, and private businesses security staff.

Following the eventual reinstalment of the PSPO last month, Erdington Ward Councillor Robert Alden said:

“We’re disappointed it has taken as long as this to get the signage up and training in place – for the zone to be enforceable it requires signs to go up on lampposts and training to be provided by the police, which we needed to get the Council to implement.

“But it’s now really positive that everything’s in place, and Gareth (Moore) and I have been working with the Erdington BID and the police to make sure that got moving.

“Now the police can start enforcing it (the PSPO) and hopefully it will lead to a safer High Street for people to be able to enjoy spending their time and shopping on.”

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NEWS: Public Space Protect Order hopes to curb anti-social behaviour in Erdington

Words by Ed King

An application is underway for a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in Erdington, giving local police the power to forcibly remove anyone from the ‘Restricted Area’ they suspect is intoxicated or causing anti-social behaviour.

Starting on the corner of Oakfield/Wood End Road, the ‘Restricted Area’ continues down to and up Orchard Road – cuts across Sutton New Road, embracing Abbey Catholic Primary School and Highclare School, then comes back up Summer Road to Six Ways Island.

If successful, the application would see a PSPO come into force on 20 December 2021 – just in time for Christmas and the New Year, when alcohol related and street crime is often known to soar. If enforced the PSBO would run for three years, staying in place until 19 December 2024.

Public consultation is currently being sought, with any ‘interested person’ invited to appeal against the order via the Birmingham Be Heard website by 19 December. An ‘interested person’ is defined as ‘someone who lives in, regularly works in, or visits the restricted area’.

Full details of the PSPO application for Erdington, alongside a place to comment or appeal, can be found here: www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/place/erdington-public-space-protection-order-consultati/

Led by the North Local Partnership Delivery Group (LPDG), the application for a PSPO in Erdington is seen by many constituency stakeholders as an essential step to help clean up the High Street and encourage public safety.

Policing across the West Midlands has suffered cuts of £175m since 2010, resulting in the loss of over 2200 police officers – including 50% of all allocated to community policing. The lack of uniformed officers on patrol has often been cited as the reason anti-social behaviour and street crimes started to spike.

Erdington previously held a PSPO which ran out in 2018, with many questioning why it was not immediately reinstated.

Terry Guest, Erdington Town Centre Manger, explained: “Now, there’s a few stories about why it hasn’t been renewed. One is that someone objected on the grounds that the PSPO included beggars, and there was an objection against the human rights of beggars – because initially the order included the removal of beggars off the High Street.

“It’s a bit of a contentious issue because one of the things I’ve been working with the police with is to help anyone begging if they’re homeless.

“No one should be homeless, and we’ve done quite a lot of work with the police and their partners in helping people who are homeless.

“There’s another aspect to this and that’s professional begging, where people aren’t homeless, aren’t poor, and are begging on the High Street as a crime basically.”

Jack Dromey MP for Erdington recently joined the Erdington Street Pastors and West Midlands Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, on a tour of Erdington High Street.

When asked about the application for a PSPO in the area he told Erdington Local: “I strongly support the reintroduction of a PSPO, I strongly support it. There’s no question of it, one of the problems here on the High Street is street drinking and sometimes the bad behaviour that goes with that.

“Now there is an issue in relation to often vulnerable people who congregate here, therefore there needs to be support for those people to divert them from behaving badly in our community.

“Having said that I’ve just seen earlier today an incident with four people, one of who was clearly drunk – and this is 10am – who blocked the pavement and there was woman trying to get by with her buggy and they wouldn’t let her get by.

“Now that kind of behaviour is absolutely not acceptable, so clamping down on street drinking I think is an essential part in making people feel safe about coming to their High Street.”

As Erdington Ward Councillors, Robert Alden and Gareth Moore have been championing the fight to get a Public Space Protection Order restored in Erdington ever since the previous one expired without the Council renewing it.

Cllr Alden, who is also Director and Vice Chair of Erdington Business Improvement District, said:

“Sadly the Council had not been acting with the urgency required to get the PSPO back in place in Erdington, despite all the efforts of the local Police and BID in providing evidence.

“Therefore, we have been demanding the Council get this moving and recently brought the Chief Executive down to Erdington High Street to meet with the BID, local police team and ourselves to discuss the need for the Erdington PSPO and the need for the Council to work with the Erdington community to help make our High Street safer.

“Thankfully following this visit and meetings with senior officers from Community Safety in the Council we have managed to get the consultation launched for reintroducing the PSPO”.

Cllr Moore added: “We have worked with the Police to also get the area the new PSPO will cover enlarged so that it can help tackle areas of concern in wider Erdington as well, for example down Station Road and Church Road.

“It is vital that residents now take part in the consultation supporting the PSPO for Erdington so that it can be approved to commence before Christmas and help keep residents safe.

“Thank you to the efforts of local Police, Town Centre Manager and businesses for working with us to help force the Council to finally get the consultation launched”.

For more on the application for a PSBO in Erdington visit www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/place/erdington-public-space-protection-order-consultati/