Police and council are the Grime-busters!

Oct 22 2007 By Mark Cowan, Birmingham Mail

HUNDREDS of uniformed police and council staff are hitting the streets of Birmingham this week in a two-week "crime and grime" crackdown.

Bobbies, backed by special constables and community support officers, will work with residents and council staff on raids, high visibility patrols and environmental clean-ups.

The "all out" days will see workers leave their desks and pound the beat to reassure the public and make people proud of the city.

There will also be a blitz on robberies with the launch of a new surveillance van and an increased use of stop and search powers.

Licensing enforcement officers will also target the illegal under-age sale of alcohol and fireworks to youngsters - a major cause of complaint at this time of year.

Insp Paul Clarke, from Belgrave Road police, said: "United Streets of Birmingham is about continuing the positive results we've seen across the city recently.

"Crime has reduced year after year since 2002 and is currently at its lowest for decades.

However, we cannot afford to be complacent and we are committed to working together to keep our communities safe."

Ian Coghill, director of environmental services and community safety, added: "We all want to work together to make sure Birmingham remains one of the safest places in the country to live.

"This campaign is about the community working with partners and each other to ensure that we can continue to be proud of where we live and our track record in terms of crime."

Police statistics show crime in Birmingham is at its lowest since 2003/04.

Domestic burglary is down by 37 per cent, theft from motor vehicles is down by 23 per cent and robbery is down 25 per cent.