Plea for safer student suburb Thousands sign petition after man, 22, stabbed in carjacking attempt
THOUSANDS of students have demanded increased safety measures on the streets of Selly Oak after a man was stabbed in an early-morning carjacking bid.
More than 5,000 have added their names to an online petition in just 24 hours after the 22-year-old victim was critically injured in Heeley Road on Sunday.
A boy of 15 has been charged with attempted murder and was due in court on Wednesday.
Scores of undergraduates live in Selly Oak, which is known as Birmingham’s student heartland and is close to the University of Birmingham’s Edgbaston campus.
Those signing the petition want extra patrols on the streets, improved CCTV and for pressure to be exerted on landlords to improve security in rented, shared houses.
It says crime traditionally increases in the area during the autumn and winter.
The issue is also being taken up the university’s Guild of Students, which held a meeting about safety on Wednesday night.
The petition, set up on the 38 degrees website, is headlined: “Make Selly Oak Safer” and is addressed to a number of bodies and officials, including West Midlands Police, councillors, MP Steve McCabe and mayor Andy Street.
It reads: “The Guild of Students Officer Team demands the University of Birmingham, like other universities around the country, takes an active role in the community to ensure the safety of their students. We want the university to take seriously the crime rate typically increases in Selly Oak over the autumn and winter months.
“We request that the university’s security staff increase efforts to patrol the streets of Selly Oak. This approach has been seen in universi- ties across the country such as Bristol and Manchester to great effect.
“We request the university lobbies landlords to make much-needed improvements to the security of their houses.
“We request that the council works with the university to invest in greater CCTV provision and provide gates between houses in the community. Please sign this petition if you agree the university must do more to protect the students living in Selly Oak.”
The 15-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was due before Birmingham magistrates on Wednesday. He was facing six other charges of attempted robbery.
A 17-year-old boy was also expected to appear in court charged with six counts of attempted robbery.
A 15-year-old girl was released without charge.
The stab victim was knifed after he was chased by two people who demanded the keys to a car.
He was in a critical but stable condition in hospital.
Det Insp Vanessa Eyles, from Force CID, said police patrols in the area had been stepped up.
She said: “This is a significant breakthrough in our investigation, although we are still appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
“While violent car-jackings such as this are rare, we understand the fear this incident has caused in the Selly Oak area.
“We have extra officers on patrol 24 hours a day, particularly around the student community, many of whom are new to the area.”