Campaigns

Secure Your Plates, Protect Your Identity

Your car number plate is unique and is linked to the registered keeper of the vehicle. If your plates are stolen and used, thieves are stealing your identity.

Being a victim of number plate theft is serious and you need to report it. The plates could be used to commit criminal offences and the police could be knocking at your door. Criminals use stolen plates for a whole host of reasons and sometimes in very serious crimes.

Using a stolen or false plate is a criminal offence which could lead to a prison sentence.

To avoid becoming a victim of number plate theft, we recommend taking the following advice:

Park in a well-lit area and use car parks that are accredited to the Secured Car Park Scheme.
Fit non-returnable screws to your number plate, or another fixing device such as an epoxy adhesive. Available from car parts supply shops or DIY centres
Purchase theft resistant number plates from a reputable dealer and ensure they adhere to British Standard BSAU 145d. Visit www.dvla.gov.uk for more information. Dealers should also be registered with the DVLA.
Do not use ‘show plates’ on your vehicle, thieves are more likely to steal them and they are illegal to use on the road.
If you are a victim of number plate theft, report it and keep a copy of the crime reference number.

Gold theft campaign

The current high value of gold makes it even more attractive to thieves, so it is important that you take extra care to protect valuable items of jewellery.

If you own items of gold jewellery, we recommend that you:

ensure that they are appropriately insured against loss or theft;
register them on the national police database at www.registermythings.co.uk. (This allows the police to ensure that any recovered items can be returned to their rightful owner. The site is confidential and no-one other than the police will be able to see the details you register);
be discreet. Try to keep expensive items of jewellery covered from view when out and about on the streets. During the winter months, clothing and accessories such as scarves and gloves provide an ideal way to cover up;
take action to make sure the jewellery you keep in your home is secure. Avoid putting all your jewellery in one place, particularly in jewellery boxes which are left on show; and
consider investing in a home safe or bank safety deposit box.

There are additional measures you can take to keep you and your valuables safe.

During the darker nights period, make sure you leave a light on at home so it looks like someone is in;
Avoid poorly lit routes when walking on the streets at night;
Make sure your home and property is securely locked at all times; and
Keep expensive items out of view.

If you are unfortunate enough to be a victim of crime, make sure you report it to the Police. You will need a crime number from the police to pass on to your insurance company so it is important that you do this straight away.

Sharp System

Safer Birmingham Partnership supports the SHARP System.

Young People are a priority for the Safer Birmingham Partnership who aim for Birmingham to be a place where not only young people choose not to be involved in crime but where they also feel safe.

Safer Birmingham Partnership is a joint partnership between Birmingham City Council, West Midlands Police, West Midlands Fire Service and other agencies who work together to tackle difficult community safety problems that affect communities.

The Safer Birmingham Partnership has three priorities which are the driving force behind its activity. Safeguarding young people is at the core of these priorities.

It is Safer Birmingham Partnership’s aim that Birmingham will:

be a safe place in which to live, work and visit;
feel a safe place in which to live, work and visit; and
be a place where young people choose not to engage in criminal and anti-social behaviour.

With these aims in mind, the Safer Birmingham Partnership is proud to fund The SHARP System for all secondary schools in Birmingham.

The SHARP System is a 24/7 365 days a year confidential reporting system for any incidents which occur within the school and local community. It covers every principle of the Every Child Matters agenda and has the following additional benefits:

An information gathering tool for incidents in school and local community;
An education tool for main types of behaviours which affect schools e.g. bullying, health, community issues, weapons, hate crime and safer travel; and
A powerful communications tool which allows us to send community safety messages to young people in secondary schools across Birmingham.

The SHARP System is already being used in a number of secondary schools across Birmingham and positive feedback has been received on how useful The SHARP System has been within those schools.

For further information regarding the system and how your school can be involved, please contact Tom Dobrovic at the Safer Birmingham Partnership on 0121 464 6211 or email tom.dobrovic@birmingham.gov.uk

Personal Robbery

Birmingham is a safe place to grow up. This doesn’t mean though that you shouldn’t look after your property or be aware of your own safety. We’d like you to look at the tips below and take them seriously – share this information with your families, friends, schoolmates and neighbours and make sure you use it yourself.

Keep yourself and your stuff safe

Keep your phone separate from the rest of your stuff.
Keep your stuff out of sight – you are less likely to be targeted.
Jackets and bags on backs of chairs are easy targets – be careful where you leave them.

www.registermythings.co.uk
If you are targeted for your valuables don’t fight back – your safety is more important than your valuables.
When you’re out and about, walk with a friend and stay in busy, well-lit areas.

Phones

Set your phone to vibrate or to a discreet ring tone – you are less likely to be targeted if your phone can’t be heard.
Teach your mum to text so she doesn’t have to ring you.
Don’t walk and talk or text on the street - you should be aware of everything that is going on around you.
Make a note of your phone’s IMEI number. This is the phone’s unique identification number which can’t be tampered with or changed. You can find your number by entering *#06# This means your phone can be blocked if stolen.

IF YOU EVER NEED HELP...

IN AN EMERGENCY DIAL 999

Speak to any adult that you trust – your parents, teachers or a police officer.

Some schools in Birmingham are introducing the SHARP system. This is an on-line reporting system where you can report any type of incident including bullying, problems at home and crime related issues. You don’t have to leave your name. Visit the www.sharpsystem.com/birmingham.php

Hate Crime Campaign

What is hate crime?

Any criminal offence committed against a person or property that is motivated by an offender’s hatred of someone because of their race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality or national origins, religion, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.

The impact of hate crime

Birmingham is the safest of the eight core cities in the UK with the lowest overall crime rate but hate crime can have enormous impact on people’s lives – physically and emotionally. It can affect a victim’s health and well-being, it can damage their health and it can affect their outlook on life. Most types of crime are reducing in Birmingham but with hate crime, we don’t know the real picture.

Hate crime is an important area of activity for Safer Birmingham Partnership, not least because those that are victims of hate crime are afraid to report it, but also because victims feel that hate crime is ‘just one of those things that you should put up with. This has to change.

We want to encourage residents to report hate crime and trust that we will do something about it. We are aware that this campaign may encourage reporting to go up but we are prepared for this increase and have made sure that our staff are available to provide support whenever needed.

Safer Birmingham Partnership believes that most people in Birmingham do get on together and won’t stand for hate crime. Birmingham is not a city where hate crime is acceptable, nor is it tolerated. Safer Birmingham Partnership and its partners will take action against those who commit hate crime and are currently actively undertaking legal proceedings on a number of individual cases across the range of hate crime types.

What support is available to those that report?

The way that hate crime can be reported has been improved and additional training for staff in existing City Council hate crime reporting centres, neighbourhood offices, libraries and leisure centres, is being rolled out across the city. This training will underpin the service and enable staff to ensure that reports of hate crime are directed to the right place for the appropriate course of action, and that victims are referred to the appropriate support services. The number that is being publicised in the campaign is 0121 303 1111. This confidential service is resourced by trained staff able to take reports of hate crime.

The Campaign

The campaign aims to raise awareness on hate crime and encourage reporting. The hate crime campaign was launched in November and involves a strong visual element to the campaign. These posters are displayed on poster sites across the city and will run through until March 10.

We are aware that this campaign may encourage reporting to go up but we are prepared for this increase and have made sure that our staff are available to provide support whenever needed.

The campaign posters will be displayed in and around the city in high visibility locations including poster sites and inside buses. One poster includes a scene on Birmingham New Street where everyone has a label. The labels identify anonymous individuals by gender, ethnicity, religion, sexuality or disability. These are the different elements that make up hate crime. The poster suggests that we all have labels that identify us but it’s when they are used negatively against you, that hate crime occurs.

The second poster in this campaign includes residents of Birmingham spearheading a message to not tolerate hate crime in this city.

Safer Birmingham Partnership hope that the images used will make people who are guilty of discriminating and abusing others, think about their actions and also encourage those that have suffered from hate crime, to come forward and report it.

Road Safety

FACT: If you drink and drive you will cause an accident, killing yourself and others
FACT: One in six road deaths is caused by drivers over the drink-drive limit
FACT: You can still be over the limit the next morning and lose your licence
FACT: Only time will sober you up. It takes 1-1½ hours for every unit drunk
FACT: Drink drivers face a minimum six-month prison sentence, plus a fine of £5,000 and at least one year's disqualification
FACT: Even small amounts of alcohol will affect your driving – reducing your ability to judge speed and distance
FACT: If convicted of a drink drive offence, your car insurance will cost you three times more.