Police have made a series of arrests and seized a significant number of vehicles during a targeted crackdown on crime in the Erdington area of Birmingham.
Operation Skybridge Results in Multiple Arrests
As part of Operation Skybridge, a proactive crime team, officers from West Midlands Police carried out enforcement action which led to ten arrests. These arrests resulted in a total of 19 charged offences.
During the deployment, police conducted 33 stop and searches, a tactic which itself led to five further arrests. A major focus was on vehicle crime, with officers seizing over 20 vehicles. Of these, six were confirmed to have been stolen.
Warrant and Community Engagement
The operation also involved a cannabis warrant executed alongside the local neighbourhood team. This action led to the seizure of more than 150 cannabis plants, disrupting local drug supply networks.
Beyond enforcement, the team engaged directly with the community to build positive relationships. Officers visited Highclare Senior School to deliver safety inputs, presenting students with real-life scenarios and asking for their ideas on policing solutions.
Sergeant Danny Fulford from the team highlighted the impact of this approach: "We have formed a great relationship with the community in Erdington, and because of the positive engagement, we have been able to tackle the issues right at the heart of the area."
A Focus on Serious Acquisitive Crime
Operation Skybridge is a dedicated team focusing on Serious and Acquisitive Crime (SAC). Its remit is to prevent and detect offences such as burglary, robbery, vehicle crime, and drug-related crime within its allocated area.
Sgt Fulford emphasised the operation's disruptive effect: "This is proactive policing, causing maximum difficulty and disruption to those who are doing the most harm to our communities. The team work together excellently, and have shown that in each area we target, we are able to cause disruption to repeated crime."
The school visit had a notable secondary effect, with several students reportedly considering a future career in policing following the interactive session.
