‘Social media gossip has added fuel to this’: Selly Oak Police speak out about crime

With the recent increase in attacks and robberies in the Bournbrook area, Selly Oak police hosted a live chat on Twitter this afternoon in an attempt to set facts straight and reassure students about their safety.

The chat started at three o’clock, and questions flooded in from concerned residents in the affected area.

The questions seemed to primarily revolve around gauging an insight into what Selly Oak police were doing to make residents feel safer in their homes.

According to their Twitter, there has been seven robberies across the Bournbrook area since the 1st January, but no offences of this nature since 31st January.

There have only been three incidents whereby the assailants were wearing ski masks, as reported by The Tab earlier this month.

When asked what they were planning to do to increase security in the area, they tweeted: “we have been offering advice on how to protect your belongings and increased patrols in the area along with @ilovesellyoak.”

Concerned parents tweeted the police, asking what they were doing to reassure them after students had stated they didn’t feel safe.

Selly Oak’s police replied and said that safety was based on a “balance between personal responsibility and increased police patrols” while they had been working in partnership with I Love Selly Oak, a community warden’s programme ran by the Guild of Students.

Many also asked for CCTV in the area, however the police stated the problem with this was the cost.

Twitter user @alexbarnes22 asked “Do you support the possibility of CCTV being implemented in Selly Oak? Clearly we can’t expect 24hr patrols #askSOpolice.”

The police confirmed that CCTV is “cost prohibitive”, but was always a consideration if “funding streams can be found.”

How safe is Selly?

Students have been advised by the police to only engage with them in regards to events that have taken place in the area, as they write; “we are aware of local concerns but the robbery figures have remained static. social media gossip has added fuel to this.”

If you have any further concerns about safety in your area, you can contact Selly Oak police via their Twitter account, @sellyoakpolice, or you can contact I Love Selly Oak via their Twitter account, @ilovesellyoak.