Fed-up Kings Heath residents hatch plan to curb racing drivers after year of crashes

Exasperated residents of Birmingham's south suburbs have said they are close to buying a speed gun for their street after a number of smashes, speeding, and near-misses. Residents living in the Vicarage Road community in Kings Heath said they hope to acquire their own kit in their crackdown on poor and dangerous driving.[1] Frustrated locals shared the concerns at a meeting run by Campaign group Better Streets for Birmingham on December 19.

Local police Sergeant Jordan Keen, part of West Midlands Police's[2] Traffic Investigation Unit, attended and spoke of how residents can report using a third-party system Nextbase to help support police investigations. Speaking of how the force is pushing for more reporting from the community and partnership working, Sgt Keen said: "We have a personalised interaction with members of the public, it's important to say that over the past few years that most police forces tend to do everything over the phone or via emails. We've lost a little bit of that public touch like we used to have before."

Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp[4] One Vicarage Road resident told Sgt Keen she and other residents on the road are thinking of buying a speed gun to tackle "boy racers and hit and runs." Sgt Keen responded by saying that only Home Office approved equipment can be used to gather evidence. He instead encouraged the public to report potential offences through third-party reporting system Nextbase, and said the community's participation is vital. "The new chief has come in, he's trying to push everything back to local policing, his heart is in local policing and he wants neighbourhoods to thrive.

"We've got the facilities and structures in place to support [a crackdown]" Sgt Keen explained. BirminghamLive has reported on a number of close-calls and road smashes in Kings Heath and Moseley.

Earlier this year, Kings Heath streets were compared to the M25[5] with streets grid-locked in every direction. In June, Kings Heath High Street was closed in both directions after a woman and a child[6] were stuck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run crash.

Just last week, a car was left flipped on its side and smashed at the front in the crash on Wake Green Road in Moseley, with residents telling us the situation has become "hopeless."[7] Taking to X, formerly Twitter, after the meeting, Moseley[8] Cllr Izzy Knowles said: "Sgt Keen clearly explained the third party reporting system and took time to answer everyone's questions. It takes me back to when we had police tasking meetings.

Please can we have more engagement like this West Midlands Police[9]."

For more stories from across Solihull including BHX, breaking news, politics and what's on, sign up to our MySolihull newsletter here[10][11]

References

1. ^ Kings Heath (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
2. ^ West Midlands Police's (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
3. ^ Speeding party driver jailed over horror crash likened to 'film stunt gone wrong' (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
4. ^ BirminghamLive WhatsApp (chat.whatsapp.com)
5. ^ compared to the M25 (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
6. ^ woman and a child (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
7. ^ "hopeless." (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
8. ^ Moseley (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
9. ^ West Midlands Police (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
10. ^ Solihull (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
11. ^ here (data.reachplc.com)