WORRIED Halesowen residents are expected to turn out in their droves to express concerns about a spike in car and knife crime at a meeting with police chiefs tonight.
Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner Lynnette Kelly and the Superintendent of Police in Dudley Sally Bourner will listen to residents' concerns at Halesowen North and South Community Area Forum at Tenterfields Primary School, at 6.30pm.
The pair agreed to attend after more than 80 people packed into last month's area committee meeting and expressed worries over a dramatic increase in car crime and knife crime in the area including a murder and another horrific stabbing, which the victim survived.
In December a 21-year-old man was seriously injured when he was stabbed in the back in Beech Avenue and just 10 days later barber Stuart Roe was stabbed to death in Springfield Drive.
Halesowen North councillor Hilary Bills said: "More than 80 people attended the last meeting because of the spike in crime here in Halesowen.
"The feeling is when there is crime the police often don't come out - people just get a crime number.
"We don't see police officers patrolling like we used to and there has been a huge spike in car crime and a rise in knife crime with two very serious incidents in Halesowen North.
"It spooks everybody.
"Some people are scared - we are very worried - for years crime has been low and then all of a sudden there's a spike and it's on your doorstep.
"For 80 people to turn up to an area forum meeting - that's a lot and it shows how worried people are."
Cllr Bills said police officers at the January meeting were not a high enough grade to be able to answer concerns, so an invite was sent to Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson, who could not attend, but Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner Lynnette Kelly accepted the invitation and will be at the meeting tonight.
Martyn Turley, aged 57, of Whitehouse Street, Tipton, has pleaded not-guilty to murdering Stuart Roe and a trial date has been set for June 24.
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