On Friday I went to Whitwick to meet with Lisa Collins, a local businesswoman who also happens to be Chair of the local Parish Council. We had a very interesting conversation about crime and policing in the village. Lisa had taken the trouble to consult the local residents, so she was able to give me a pretty comprehensive view of the situation.
First, there was the issue of thefts from vans and car thefts. This is a growing problem right across North West Leicestershire. The perception is that gangs from Birmingham or Derby are coming into the area to steal high-value tools. Much of the car crime targets expensive cars with proximity keys, which can be cloned surprisingly easily.
Another issue locally is personal safety. Lisa had a good story to tell here as her parish council is taking positive steps to ensure that the vulnerable who need them have got alarms and know who to contact if there is a problem.
Equally problematically are the issues affecting Whitwick Park which we walked over to see first hand. The park is a magnificent asset to the village with tennis courts, a bowling green, attractive planting and a great children’s playground. The problems here are mostly vandalism and anti-social behaviour. The parish council has taken some steps, such as locking the gates earlier on dark evenings. This has led to a fall in anti-social behaviour, but the problems have not really been solved.
The official figures show that overall crime in Whitwick has remained fairly steady over the past year, but there has been a surge in particular crimes. Both burglary and vehicle crime have doubled in the year to August 2019.
