NO KERB-CRAWLERS ON SOHO ROAD
Police in Handsworth are warning kerb-crawlers that they’re on the lookout for them.
In the last 12 months the East Handsworth and Lozells neighbourhood team have continued their crackdown on prostitution in Soho Road which has historically been a blight on the lives of local residents and businesses.
Officers have worked in plain clothes to target men who solicit women for sex, resulting in 43 offences being recorded. Of these most men attended a course to help prevent them from re-offending. The course is run by Turning Point* and has a 90% success rate. Others have received a caution.
Three offenders appeared at court, where two were found guilty
Some offenders were also found to be wanted for other offences and several cars have been seized for no insurance, including one man who was using his partner’s car to pick up sex workers!
Officers have also been helping the sex workers to deter them from plying their trade by referring them to the Umbrella Project* for support. Where they continue to solicit, they are issued with Community Protection Warnings which prohibits them from certain areas at specific times. This has had a positive effect and there have been no breaches to date.The message is clear – kerb crawlers are not welcome on the Soho Road and extra police patrols will continue.
* https://www.turning-point.co.uk/
* https://umbrellahealth.co.uk/
(Text and banner photo from local neighbourhood sergeant).
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These are exactly the reasons why I believe, we need to ‘Re-Claim’ our streets and gullies (Alleyways) in Handsworth.
Whilst the gullies are meant to be functional; unfortunately for various reasons, they are looked upon and used negatively. Therefore, these kinds of environments will always have an adverse effect on health, well-being, community spirit and community life. These are not new ideas, however it’s about time we did some of our own social engineering to have positive impacts. One way to Re-Claim our streets and alleyways, is to positively influence the powers-that-be, and encourage neighbourhoods and community to contribute to the making of positive impacts. Not to allow Handsworth to be used and only be seen as an absorber of negative influences. Working together to utilize what would be classed as unconventional spaces, would help us to collectively maintain, and bring back the spirit of what neighbourhoods are about.
Our lives, our homes, our environment, and infrastructure are some of the valued and significant things that make up a community. There are areas in and around the midlands, and up and down the country that would never allow deterioration to take hold to the degree that Handsworth has been forced to. Being part of the decisions that affect us physically, environmentally and mentally, needs to be put into action by us the community.
Jennifer Walters