West Midlands Police have stressed the importance of informing them of incidents after two reports of a man behaving suspiciously – performing a lewd act in one of the incidents – in Frankley on Thursday (8th August).
One B31 Voices reader reported that a man acting suspiciously had followed her and her daughter outside a shop in Arden Road at around 8.30am. He walked around the teenage girl, looking at her, following them as they left the shop and went back to their car, where he stood behind and watched them drive away.
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “We were called just after 3.45pm on Thursday 8 August about a man behaving suspiciously at 8.30am on Arden Road, Rubery.”
In a second, separate incident, another reader reported her mother had seen a man performing a sexual act on a green telecoms / electrical box near a bus stop in Holly Hill Road at around 10.20am. He only fled when the woman took out her phone to capture evidence.
The WMP spokesman confirmed: “[…] we received a separate call reporting a man behaving in a sexualised way on nearby Holly Hill.”
He added: “If you have any information about either incident, get in touch quoting 3162-080824 for the Arden Road incident and 3333-080824 for the Holly Hill report.”
While many may feel they don’t want to bother police with incidents of this nature, the spokesman stressed the importance of reporting them.
He said: “Telling us about incidents like this is important – it helps us identify suspects, understand local issues and prevent crimes. You can report crimes and suspicious activity, and get personal safety advice on our website westmidlands.police.uk.
“You should call us on 999 when a crime is in progress or a life is in danger.”
You can also report as anonymous witness to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit www.crimestoppers-uk.org
If you feel unsafe on the streets of the West Midlands – e.g. a badly lit alleyway which makes you feel vulnerable – you can report to Street Safe anonymously. Information is passed to the police who can then liaise with the local council and other organisations to resolve issues and make our streets safer.
Cover photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash