The results are in for the Safer 6 campaign’s fourth week, which had a special focus on West Bromwich. Community clean-ups, tackling knife crime, speeding and anti-social behaviour and promoting fire safety and crime prevention were among the key achievements of the week. The council, fire service and police, together with councillors, health and probation services and community and voluntary groups, all support the six-week Safer 6 campaign – a campaign that promotes safety, crime prevention and healthy living as the nights draw in.

Week Four got under way with an information event in West Bromwich town centre attended by the Mayor, Councillor Julie Webb, and West Bromwich town lead member Councillor Steve Melia and deputy Councillor Elizabeth Giles.

Lots of services were there and the fire service held a chip pan fire demonstration. Police also emptied the weapons surrender bin in High Street, finding 25 knives that are now safely off the streets.

Volunteers from Sandwell Crime Prevention Panel gave out 140 home security packs, 28 cycle marking kits, 50 mobile phone security packs and 200-plus door cards.

Trading standards officers brought along the tobacco control education unit and a sniffer dog to raise awareness of illegal and counterfeit alcohol and cigarettes.

Key activities during Week Four included:

  • Police were joined by local volunteers for a community speedwatch in Trinity Way and Kenrick Way. They checked more than 400 vehicles – four motorists were speeding above 45mph in a 40mph zone and have received police warnings.
  • Police, council neighbourhood services officers and local volunteers also held speed checks in Hall Green Road, Allerton Lane and Waddington Avenue in response to concerns about speeding, one motorist was found to be driving over 30mph in Waddington Avenue and warned.
  • Police gave crime prevention advice to residents at Waltham House, in a joint visit with Kaleidoscope, as well as to students and staff at Sandwell College. They also held a joint crime prevention and bike security marking session in the town centre with Tesco and West Bromwich Business Improvement District (BID). And they worked with TSB in High Street to offer fraud prevention advice.
  • Fire crews carried out 56 ‘Safe and Well’ visits, offering fire safety advice, checking whether people had smoke detectors and promoting health and wellbeing. They also held a child car seat awareness session at Tesco New Square, speaking to more than 100 people.
  • Council neighbourhood services officers and partners held walkabouts and door knocking sessions across West Bromwich, giving advice on a range of issues from recycling, pest control and the Good Neighbour and Community Offer schemes to fly-tipping, rogue traders and anti-social behaviour, including racing motorbikes.
  • Council neighbourhood services officers held litter picks with Tipton Litter Watch, police and councillors – this included collecting 15 bags of litter in James Road and Holland Road; 20 bags of litter in Caddick Crescent, Princess Grove, Heath Lane, Jubilee Street, Westminster Road, Marsh Lane and Canterbury Road; around 20 bags of litter in the Fir Tree Drive area; and 25 bags of litter in Greets Green, including Claypit Lane and Wattle Green.
  • Skips were placed in Holland Road, Campville Crescent, Meadow Avenue, Fir Tree Drive and Bailey Street for residents to get rid of unwanted large items.
  • Police and council neighbourhood services officers held a joint walkabout checking untaxed vehicles in Newtown and a speed watch with Yew Tree Primary School pupils in Birchfield Way.
  • Offenders doing unpaid Community Payback work cleaned up an access track at Sandfield Road and a walkway and paths at Woodruff Way, while the council’s estate services team tidied up garages in Heath Lane.
  • Council property intervention officers visited 63 empty private homes in West Bromwich, to check they were secure and continue looking at ways to get them back into use.
  • Council wardens confiscated alcohol twice in John Street and removed seven abandoned vehicles.

Councillor Preet Gill, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for public health and protection, said: “The results of this autumn’s Safer 6 campaign are coming in thick and fast, and it’s great to see how each town is benefiting from the targeted efforts of a wide range of partnership organisations working together.

“I want to thank everyone who’s played their part in this campaign and look forward to hearing people’s suggestions for next year’s campaign.”

For more information on other towns’ results in Safer 6, go to www.sandwell.gov.uk/safer6

Areas where council officers and police held walkabouts and door knocking in Week Four included: Bridge Street, Brackendale Drive, The Grove, Allerton Lane, Charlemont Farm and Grove Vale, Denbigh Crescent, Salop Close and Hamstead House.