One year on from residents near the A456 raising concerns, James has welcomed the progress being taken to tackle illegal car cruising.
After several residents got in touch with him, James formed a resident’s group that have held regular virtual meetings through the past twelve months with Police, Councillors, and officials from Dudley MBC.
These meetings have led to regular patrols by West Midlands Police in the vicinity around Manor Way, and several of the ringleaders have been arrested. There have also been issues around the Hayley Green area, as many of the illegal races begin at the Hayley Green Island before travelling up towards the M5 junction, and James has been in touch with residents there over the concerns they have raised.
Discussions are also being held between all four Black Country Councils and the Police for a new High Court injunction to ban car cruising, following the expiry of the previous injunction last year.
“The issues around car cruising caused a real nuisance for many residents, particularly those living on Cloister Drive and on the Abbeyfields and Halesmere estates, who are in close proximity", said James. "It really started to escalate during the third Covid lockdown, when many people were spending more time at home, and it was a worrying time for many.
“I’ve been in regular contact with residents, local Councillors, council officials and the Police, and our regular meetings have given everyone had a chance to air their concerns and receive an update on the action being taken. I am pleased with the progress so far, but we must remain vigilant and I will continue to monitor the situation, working with Police and Council officials so that residents in the area can enjoy peace of mind.”
Local resident Christopher Kings said, “The car cruising nuisance has significantly decreased following the intervention of James Morris and the West Midlands traffic police, we have occasional disturbances now but nothing like the noise nuisance we have experienced in the past year. The council have started work on the A456 and this again may have helped with cars not using the roadway as a raceway. The Police continue to do their best in helping residents in our area and other areas to alleviate this nuisance.” Another local resident added, “There is no doubt that residents feel there has been a significant reduction in car cruising along the road, partly due to the efforts of the police and the success of Operation Hercules.”
PS Steven Crowe, Halesowen Neighbourhood Policing Supervisor, said, “Based on the information people have been providing us with, we have been able to target patrols to prevent people driving in an antisocial way. Those who we did find cruising on Manor Way and the surrounding areas have been given a one off warning telling them that if they are spotted again, they will have their car taken away.
“Car cruising is banned in the Black Country. Offenders risk being arrested and face driving bans and fines of up to £5,000. Their cars can also be seized and crushed.
“We’ve been sharing our updates on the action we’ve taken with MP’s councillors and residents at a quarterly meeting, and via WMNow – our community messaging tool, and residents can sign up for free updates at www.WMNow.co.uk.”
Sgt Chris Thomas, RPU Supervisor for Operation Hercules in the Central Motorway Police Group, said, “Operation Hercules is the Tactical Response to Street Racing within the West Midlands. We take the issue of Street Racing and the illegal use of the Strategic Roads Network very seriously and the safety of the public is at the heart of everything we do.
“We work locally with teams within Dudley and closely with the Halesowen Neighbourhood Policing Team. We do this in order to support them in reducing crime and Anti-Social Behaviour and to help make the lives of the public safer. We also work nationally with other Forces and local authorities to search for solutions to this issue which blights the lives of people and can have a serious impact on mental health at a time when communities are particularly vulnerable following the Covid pandemic which continues to demand a response from Police and other emergency services and not least the NHS.
“Throughout this time, we have continued to provide the highest level of service to our communities by seizing vehicles, prosecuting offenders, and providing the CPS with such evidence as they require to follow determined offenders through the Criminal Justice system.
“Those who wish to continue illegal Street Racing on our Strategic Roads Network can expect to be identified and dealt with Robustly and proportionately in line with any legislation available to us.”
