Express & Star

More than 2,000 crimes in just FOUR areas of Wolverhampton in eight months

More than 2,000 crimes have been committed in eight months in just four parts of Wolverhampton – with one area plagued by double anywhere else.

Published
Last updated
West Midlands Police say the number of crimes in the wards has actually reduced

The worst hit is Low Hill with around three crimes happening every day ranging from burglaries and robberies to car thefts and vandalism.

From April to November this year, Low Hill saw 800 reported crimes, almost double that of other areas in the city. The other hot spots include Fallings Park where 446 crimes were reported while Oxley had 398 and Bushbury has seen 393. The total for April to November 2017 across the four areas covered is 2,037.

This is up from last year where Low Hill saw 758 reported crimes, with Bushbury at 353 reported crimes. Fallings Park however had 500 crimes reported in 2016 and Oxley saw 422 – indicating a slight decrease in the number of reported crimes in these patches.

In 2016, the total number of reported crimes of this type across the four areas was 2,033. This means that crime is up overall by almost two per cent. In Low Hill and Bushbury thefts from vehicles is among crimes showing an increase.

Bushbury North councillor Daniel Warren, said: “These are preventable crimes by having more bobbies on the beat. The local police team that we do have do a brilliant job, I just wish there was more.”

Sergeant Gavin Plumridge, from West Midlands Police, said: “We are currently showing a reduction in total recorded crime across two of the four wards within the last 12 months. In the Bushbury North Ward we’ve had a push on tackling shop thefts – including robust offender management of prolific shoplifters – which has resulted in a significant reduction of 50 per cent in total recorded crime during December.

"We added four new PCSOs to our neighbourhood team alone. The new officers are committed to getting out and about within our communities, making themselves known, and are keen to hear any concerns members of the public may have in order that we can help.”