Injunction bans street racing in Sandwell

The High Court has granted a full and final injunction banning street racing, also known as car cruising, in Sandwell and in other parts of the Black Country.

It prohibits people from participating, as a driver, a rider or a passenger, in a gathering of two or more people at which some of those present engage in motor racing or motor stunts or other dangerous or obstructive driving.

Unlike the interim injunction which has been in place since 2022, the full injunction also covers organisers and spectators, prohibiting people from promoting, organising or publicising gatherings, or from participating in a gathering as a spectator with the intention or expectation that some of those present will engage in street racing.

The injunction covers the whole of the borough of Sandwell as well as Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton and has a Power of Arrest attached to it which gives the police the power to arrest anyone who breaches it. Breach of an injunction is a contempt of court and, if proved the court has the power to impose a sentence of imprisonment, a fine, or an order seizing a person’s assets.

Incidents of street racing should be reported online to the council or to West Midlands Police on 101. In an emergency, always dial 999.

More information on the Black Country-wide street racing injunction

CCTV cameras help catch cannabis growing in Smethwick

A total of 435 cannabis plants, worth an estimated £435,000, were seized by police in Bearwood Road, Smethwick, after Sandwell Council CCTV operators noticed a group of people acting suspiciously in the area.

Operators alerted police to what was initially thought to be a burglary but, after response officers arrived at the scene at Bearwood Road, they quickly found a drug growing operation taking place at the address, with 435 plants spanning over two floors. The electricity meter had also been bypassed to power the operation.

The plants were taken away to be destroyed following the find. Investigations continue to take place.

New Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) implemented across Sandwell

Following a public consultation, Sandwell’s Cabinet recently approved three boroughwide Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) as follows:

Dog fouling

This PSPO makes it a requirement for a person in charge of a dog to pick up the dog's mess and have a receptacle on them, such as a dog poo bag, to enable this. The order also excludes dogs from enclosed children’s play areas and other enclosed sports areas.

If the person fails to comply with the PSPO, they face a £100 fixed penalty or prosecution with a maximum penalty of £1,000.

98% of respondents supported the existing requirement for those in charge of a dog to clean up their mess, 92% supported the requirement to have receptacles to clean up dog waste and 91% supported dog exclusion areas.

Alcohol

This PSPO enables council environmental protection officers and police who are concerned about anti-social behaviour, to:

• require a person not to drink alcohol (or what is believed to be alcohol) in a public place
• require a person to surrender the alcohol (or what is believed to be alcohol)

If the person fails to comply with the PSPO, they face a £100 fixed penalty or prosecution with a maximum penalty of £1,000.

97% of respondents supported this proposal in the public consultation.

BBQs and fires in public spaces

This new PSPO prohibits individuals having BBQs / fires on any public land, including parks, and requires anyone found in possession of items which could be used in connection with such activities to surrender them.

If the person fails to comply with the PSPO, they face a £100 fixed penalty or prosecution with a maximum penalty of £1,000.

87% of respondents to the public consultation supported this approach.

All these PSPOs came into effect on 1 March 2024 and last for three years. They all demonstrate that the council is listening to residents and give strong messages about responsible behaviour.

They also promote important public health messages and provide opportunities to engage with people and to offer support and advice. Enforcement is always a final resort. There are many examples of engagement and assertive outreach work taking place across Sandwell supported by our strong partnership approaches.

More information on PSPOs can be found on the council's website.

New places where you can report a hate crime Four new organisations have joined the Sandwell Hate Crime Third Party Reporting Centre Network – these are places in the community where people can report a hate crime. Staff at Abrahamic Foundation and West Smethwick Park Pavilion, both in Smethwick, Bangladeshi Women’s Association in Tipton and South Staffs Water Community Hub in Wednesbury have received training and can now forward reports of hate crime on behalf of victims to the police. The centres can also help victims of hate crime in Sandwell to access victim support services dedicated to hate crime. Find out more about ways to report hate crime, including Hate Crime Third Party Reporting Centres and how to find your nearest centre.

Domestic abuse forum

Sandwell Council’s Domestic Abuse Team hosted its second Domestic Abuse Forum in February. The event, which was held at Brasshouse Community Centre, bought together organisations from across Sandwell, highlighting the work of partners and facilitating discussions to help support victims and survivors of domestic abuse.

During the forum, informative discussions were held around domestic abuse in Sandwell, with Black County Women’s Aid raising awareness of their support for victims and survivors of domestic abuse in the community. Speakers from Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust also talked about their support for people experiencing mental ill health relating to domestic abuse.

More information on where to find support in Sandwell for anyone experiencing domestic abuse

Sandwell Safeguarding Champions (SSC) at our schools

The Sandwell Safeguarding Champions (SSC) training for secondary school students has this year resulted in 19 schools and 196 SSCs being trained.

SSC is a project co-designed and led by Sandwell Council's Prevent Team to find students as champions for safeguarding in their own setting.

SSCs receive age appropriate training and are awarded with a certificate, a contract, some stationery and a branded SSC badge upon completion.

Protecting Faith Organisations event

Community organisations in Sandwell joined the Prevent Team and other partners to discuss how to protect organisations and places of worship. Around 45 people attended.

A talk by Counter Terrorism Policing explained how organisations can provide a safer environment for people to meet and practise their religion.

Inputs on hate crime were also provided by Tell Mama (an organisation which supports victims of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate) and hate crime leads from Sandwell Council and the local police.

Community members asked important questions on how they can work in partnership with local teams to tackle hate crime along with participating in discussions around national statistics and local trends.

Jail sentence for hate speech

A 25-year-old from West Bromwich, who directed hate speech towards a man because of his religion, has been sentenced in court.

In January this year, the defendant was in the men’s toilet at a public house. When the complainant entered the same toilet, the defendant accused him of being in the women’s toilets and was abusive about his religion.

She continued to use hate speech when the police officers arrived to arrest her.

She pleaded guilty at Dudley Magistrates’ Court in February, when she received a sentence of six weeks imprisonment which had been increased by two weeks to reflect the hate crime.

Safer Sandwell Community Safety Strategy consultation

The Safer Sandwell Partnership carried out a survey between October and December 2023 where people who live, work or study in Sandwell were consulted on how safe they felt in Sandwell, the crimes they were most concerned about and what interventions they thought would help increase their feelings of safety.  The findings were compared to a similar consultation that was carried out in 2021. 

Feedback highlighted that, since the last consultation,  the work of the Safer Sandwell Partnership has overall been effective in improving community safety, while as anticipated there are still some circumstances in which local people still feel unsafe and more work is needed to address this. It was good to see the proportion of local people who have been the victim of or witnessed anti-social behaviour (ASB) and/or crime reduce. Also encouraging was the increased satisfaction of people who have reported ASB and/or crime to the police and the council’s Anti-Social Behaviour Team with how their reports have been dealt with and greater feelings of safety disclosed by local people when walking in Sandwell during different times of the day. A number of initiatives to achieve this have taken place in over the last year including: - The Safer Streets in Bearwood has seen the installation of new CCTV on the High Street, the introduction of both a Business Link and Safe Spaces Scheme, additional targeted youth work and transitions work in primary schools. - High visibility police and council patrols and presence in Great Bridge to tackle ASB as part of Operation Eternity in Tipton. - Boroughwide plans to tackle hate crime and nuisance off-road motorbikes with local initiatives to address both these concerns including awareness raising, supporting Third Party Reporting Centres for hate crime and taking enforcement action against those with nuisance bikes and improving target hardening initiatives. - Launch of Prevent Community Toolkit to help safeguard communities from extremism. - Quilt of Hope tour and 16 Days of Action to raise awareness of domestic abuse and support services available. - Ongoing multi-agency partnership work involving significant preventative and enforcement action to tackle prolific perpetrators of ASB and crime and awareness raising through the annual Safer 6 community safety campaign. - Levelling Up funding secured for Wednesbury town centre and Friar Park, which will help tackle ASB and crime. Partners will continue to review and develop this work across the entire borough to raise the profile of community safety, building on the feedback provided by Sandwell residents and local data.

Protecting your home as the nights get lighter

The days are getting warmer and the nights are becoming lighter – but don’t let your guard down when it comes to securing your property.

West Midlands Police is working hard to proactively deter and target thieves, but everybody has their part to play to prevent themselves from becoming a victim of burglary.

• Make sure to close and lock your doors and windows when you go out, even if you are just in the garden, and check doors and windows before going to bed
• Don’t leave valuables or keys where they can be seen or reached through the letterbox and open windows
• Install security lighting and/or CCTV cameras around your property
• Lock up all side gates, sheds and garages

Get more advice on avoiding becoming a victim of residential burglary.

Staying safe when dropping off deliveries

There has been a rise in vehicle thefts with delivery drivers becoming a target. Here are some tips to help you stay safe while you’re working:

• If something doesn’t look or feel right, don’t make the delivery. Stay in your vehicle and report any suspicious activity to the police or your employer.
• Don’t leave your engine running or keys in the ignition when making a delivery. Remove your keys and lock your doors.
• Think about fitting an approved vehicle tracker and install a dashcam.
• Be aware of vehicles following you and where you are.

You can call 101 to report a crime – always call 999 in an emergency.

If you want to report any concerns about delivery driver attacks or vehicle thefts in your area, or tell us something you think we need to know, you can Live Chat us via the West Midlands Police website or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

If you are a delivery driver, WMP has more advice.

Links

More information on where you can find support in Sandwell if you have been the victim of an abuse or crime whether this is recent or was a long time ago.

Get the latest updates on the policing priorities for your area, from the local inspector. You can visit the Sandwell Police website or get them emailed to you every month by subscribing for free WMnow email updates.