Crime in Westwood Heath
Thankfully Westwood Heath has a relatively low crime rate compared to the rest of Coventry.
Although crime rates - principally burglary and vehicle crime - have remained fairly steady for the last few years, there is a general perception that crime is rising. The explanation for this is that we are becoming more aware of crimes because they are reported and circulated on social media, so we are hearing about things we didn't use to know about.
A number of householders have installed CCTV over the last couple of years and this both a deterrent and a tool for the police to use to identify perpetrators and also patterns of behaviour.
There is a useful section on the police website to look at crime statistics for the local area. You can zoom in to see statistics for the local area, broken down by
We have now enrolled on the Police-sponsored "Streetwatch" programme, and are patrolling in pairs across Westwood Heath. Participants will wear distinctive yellow vests with the Streetwatch logo, with the intent of providing a visible deterrent to crime, and providing the police with intelligence information. New members to the Residents Association are also welcome to join, subject to a basic vetting process run by the police. You can read more about the Streetwatch initiative here.
We have also set up a community speed watch on Westwood Heath Road to improve safety on this road.
We have also investigated hiring professional security patrols; details of this will be available to residents.