Crackdown on Cov criminals using Bedworth roads to commit crimes
Criminals are using main routes into Bedworth and Nuneaton as a thoroughfare for crime. That is why police are on the verge of launching special operations to stop them in their tracks.
One area is from the M6[1] junction 3 island, down the Bedworth bypass and along the A444 to Nuneaton. This is one of several 'hotspots' due to be targeted by the operation, according to Chief Inspector Steve Davies, the borough's policing commander.
"One of the things we are going to be doing is moving our ANPR cameras to hotspot crime areas, which includes arterial routes in and out of Bedworth[2] where we have seen an increase in stolen vehicles coming through," CI Davies said.
"From the M6 junction 3 down to the A444 in Nuneaton[3], we are seeing vehicles coming from Coventry[4], and they are definitely using this town as a thoroughfare through to go to various areas and no doubt commit crime. We are setting up bespoke operations to tackle those issues around vehicle offences and to keep up the pressure around drugs, offensive weapons and violent crime. "
This is the latest phase of the ongoing 'Operation Outfitter',[5] which aims to stop violence - especially among young people across the borough. "It comes under Outfitter because what we do know is that youths are targeted by older members to go out and commit crime on behalf of them," the Northern Area Commander said.
"There is a question around exploitation and it is something that children's services are looking into for us, but what we do know is that when we see stolen vehicles come into town, we then see an offence that matches that.... people going around carrying knives, and those who carry the knives will be the younger people. This is clearly linked, it is all part of violent offending and it all needs to stop."
Impact on crime of tough local measures
The Bedworth born and bred police chief has been in post six months and said he has already seen some positive signs from his determination to properly tackle local crimes with fully resourced teams and dedicated operations, such as Outfitter.
Latest statistics show that violence with injury is down by 4.1 per cent, and robbery is down 5.6 per cent. Unusually, he is pleased that possession of offensive weapons has increased by 26.9 per cent as he says that this shows that work to get dangerous weapons off the street is working.
He is not shy about the use of stop and search powers, and issued a warning that officers would be making more use of them.[6] "I am not afraid to say that possession of offensive weapons is up, but when you drill into those figures, that is through the use of stop and search, not just on youths but across the board," he said.
"It (stop and search) is something that I endorse as area commander. Yes it is intrusive, yes it is not a popular tactic but it does ensure that we take away knives and weapons off the streets."
He added that it is the first time that robbery offences have been down in two years. "Our figures are going in the right direction. If you look at this time last year, and we had the Asda[7] incident (where there was a brazen machete attack in the car park[8]) I think we are in a better place with our violence strategy.
"But we still do have work to do and my message to people would be is that we do still have our finger on the pulse of things. Yes, all crime is down across the borough, but we are not resting on our laurels."
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References
- ^ the M6 (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
- ^ Bedworth (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
- ^ Nuneaton (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
- ^ Coventry (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
- ^ 'Operation Outfitter', (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
- ^ warning that officers would be making more use of them. (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
- ^ Asda (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
- ^ brazen machete attack in the car park (www.coventrytelegraph.net)
- ^ here (data.reachplc.com)