Safer 6 campaign

This year's Safer 6 campaign ran from 25 September to 12 November 2023.

It’s Sandwell’s annual community safety partnership campaign across our six towns. Safer 6 aims to raise awareness, boost engagement with our communities, tackle concerns and showcase services and support that are available all year round to help people stay safe.

Each week had a focus on a specific town and there were a number of themes running throughout the campaign.

Week 1, Tipton: Monday 25 September – Sunday 1 October 2023
Week 2, Oldbury: Monday 2 October – Sunday 8 October 2023
Week 3, West Bromwich: Monday 16 October – Sunday 22 October 2023
Week 4, Rowley Regis: Monday 23 October – Sunday 29 October 2023
Week 5, Smethwick: Monday 30 October – Sunday 5 November 2023
Week 6, Wednesbury: Monday 6 November – Sunday 12 November 2023

Safer 6 activities and events

Activities were in person and online. If you have any feedback on any activities or would like to discuss ways in which you can contribute to future campaigns, please email the Community Safety Team.

Follow our Safer 6 activities on social media #Safer6 #SaferSandwell

The first public information event of the campaign was held at Asda Great Bridge in Tipton on Monday 25 September, with the council, police, fire service and Cranstoun providing a range of advice. See photos from the event on our Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram pages.

Week 1 activities in Tipton included:

Monday 25 September, 10am - 11.30am: Litter pick with Litterwatch, Park Lane East/Park Estate
Monday 25 September, 12noon - 2pm: Information and advice event, Asda Great Bridge
Monday 25 September, 4pm: Walkabout and door-to-door visits around reporting nuisance motorbikes, Sycamore Road, Oval Road, Tibbington Terrace and Cecil Terrace
Tuesday 26 September, 11am - 12noon: Residents' meeting to discuss resident and tenant participation and local issues, Glebefields Library
Tuesday 26 September, 5.30pm - 7.30pm: Youth worker discussions with young people on vaping, Laburnum Road, Victoria Park and Great Bridge High Street
Wednesday 27 September, 5pm - 8pm: Launch of safe and warm hubs for young people, Coneygre Arts Centre
Wednesday 27 September, 6pm - 8pm: Bleed control training, Tipton College
Thursday 28 September, 5pm - 8pm: Youth worker discussions with young people on vaping, Laburnum Road and Victoria Park
Friday 29 September, 10am - 1pm: Advice and free security items with Sandwell Crime Prevention Panel, Jubilee Park (Community Building)

Week 2 activities in Oldbury included:

All week: Police visits to secondary schools in the Oldbury area
Tuesday 3 October, 3.30pm - 5.30pm: Youth engagement, meet by Martley Road shops next to Rounds Green Library (focus on Staying Safe, Making Positive Choices)
Tuesday 3 October, 6pm - 8pm: Young engagment at Bleakhouse Youth Club (focus on Staying Safe, Making Positive Choices, opportunity to make new friends)
Tuesday 3 October, 6pm - 7pm: Partnership walkabout and door-to-door visits in Ratcliff Walk, Church Square, Lady Brades House
Wednesday 4 October: Education and information visits to licensed premises across Oldbury
Wednesday 4 October, 5.15pm - 7.15pm: Youth engagement, meet at Tividale Park, session includes football tournament (focus on Staying Active and Staying Safe)
Thursday 5 October: Advice, guidance and support around domestic abuse and sexual violence, Whiteheath Medical Centre
Thurday 5 October, 3.30pm - 5.30pm: Youth engagement, meet by Martley Road shops next to Rounds Green Library (focus on Staying Safe, Making Positive Choices)
Thursday 5 October, 6pm - 8pm: Youth engagement, meet at Tividale Park (focus on Staying Safe, Making Positive Choices and planning winter activities)
Thursday 5 October, 6pm - 8pm: Young engagment at Bleakhouse Youth Club (focus on Staying Safe, Making Positive Choices, opportunity to make new friends)
Saturday 7 October, 10.30am - 12.30pm: Advice and free security items with Sandwell Crime Prevention Panel and partners, Bristnall Hall Road (by Tesco Express)

Week 3 activities in West Bromwich included:

Monday 16 October, 10.30am - 12.30pm: Cuppa with a Coppa, Claremont Community Centre
Monday 16 October, 1.15pm: Road Safety School Assembly, two road safety assemblies for KS1 and KS2 at Lodge Primary School
Monday 16 October, 3pm - 5pm: Town Centre Detached Work (Young People), discussions and awareness raising around ASB and substance use, West Bromwich Town Centre
Tuesday 17 October, 4pm - 5.15pm: Boxing Sessions (Young People), free non-contact boxing sessions for young people aged 11-16 years old, West Bromwich Leisure Centre
Tuesday 17 October, 6pm - 8pm: Discussions and awareness raising around ASB and subtance use, Tanhouse Youth Club
Wednesday 18 October, 10am - 12 noon: Litter Pick, Coyne Road and Lyng Lane
Wednesday 18 October, 5.30pm - 7.30pm: ASB Awareness (Young People), discussions and awareness raising around ASB and substance use, Stone Cross Youth Club
Wednesday 18 October, 5.30pm - 7.30pm: Community Engagement, Mobile Police Station, Stone Cross Library
Thursday 19 October, 10.30am: Fire Safety Checks, Beaconview Road
Thursday 19 October, 6pm - 8pm: Discussions and awareness raising workshops around substance use in partnership with DECCA, Lodge Road Youth Club
Friday 20 October, 10am - 2pm: Opportunities for the public to come and speak with the police about local concerns, Mobile World Cafes, Greets Green
Saturday 21 October, 6pm - 7pm: Street Watch, West Bromwich Town Centre and Greets Green - Claypit Lane

Week 4 activities in Rowley Regis included:

Monday 23 October, 10am - 12 noon: Safer 6 information roadshow, Britannia Park
Monday 23 October, 10am - 2pm: Opportunities for the public to come and speak with the police about local concerns, Mobile World Cafes, Cradley Heath
Monday 23 October, 6pm - 8pm: Launch of Warm Hub Zones, Brickhouse Community Centre/Youth Club
Tuesday 24 October, 11am - 1pm: Domestic Abuse Awareness, Places of Worship, St Mark's
Tuesday 24 October, 10am - 1.30pm: Online Safety & Toolkit Launch, launch of the toolkit & referral form along with online safety session (supported by Illeys Community Association)
Tuesday 24 October, 6pm - 8pm: Vaping Awareness, targeted work with young people around awareness of dangers of vaping, Blackheath town
Wednesday 25 October, 6pm - 7pm: Hate Crime Awareness Workshop, raising awareness of hate crime with local youth group, Rowley Youth Club
Thursday 26 October, 9:30am - 12.30pm: Foster Carer Event, Prevent will be at this event to promote their area of work and services (this is a borough-wide event during this Safer 6 week being held at West Bromwich Albion FC in West Bromwich)
Thursday 26 October, 2pm - 4pm: Hate Crime Information Stand, Blackheath Library
Thursday 26 October, 6pm - 8pm: Detached Youth Services Session, detached session in and around Blackheath around young people staying safe

Week 5 activities in Smethwick included:

Monday 30 October, 11am - 2pm: Launch Event, multi agency event to raise awareness of a number of subjects, ASDA Cape Hill
Monday 30 October, 3pm - 5pm: ASB Awareness, engagement with members of the public, Aldi, Bearwood
Tuesday 31 October, 11am: Litter pick in area of Lewisham Road
Wednesday 1 November, 10am - 12pm: Citizens Advice/Welfare Rights, benefits advice, Thimblemill Library
Wednesday 1 November, 11am - 3pm: Community Safety Week, scam awareness, Brasshouse Community Centre
Thursday 2 November, 10am - 11am: Mobile Police Surgery/Stall, multi-agency event to raise awareness of community safety with local residents, Lightwoods House and Park
Friday 3 November, 11am - 2pm: Scams Workshop, scam awareness, Smethwick Baptist Church
Saturday 4 November, 10.30am - 1.30pm: Prevent Workshop, Prevent training & online safety interactive information sessions for young people age 8-24 in Sandwell, Victoria Park Skills Centre

Week 6 activities in Wednesbury included:

Monday 6 November, 7pm - 8pm: Youth Services Activity, open discussions and awareness raising around ASB and substance misuse, Wednesbury Youth Club
Tuesday 7 November, 10am - 12noon: Litter pick and removal of waste during a walkabout, Anson Road
Tuesday 7 November, 6pm - 8pm: Detached Youth Services Activity, open discussions and workshops delivered by DECCA team around substance use, Brunswick Park and Friar Park
Wednesday 8 November, 10am - 2pm: Mobile World Cafes, opportunities for the public to come and speak with the police about local concerns, Friar Park
Wednesday 8 November, 1pm: Community Engagement, LIDL Friar Park
Thursday 9 November, 11am: Leafleting on fire safety in high-rise blocks, Russell House
Thursday 9 November, 1.30pm - 3.30pm: Just While You Wait, engagement with group members to get their views and find out any concerns they have
Friday 10 November, 9.30am - 2.30pm: Citizens Advice Bureau, drop-in advice and information session, Wednesbury Library
Friday 10 November, 10am - 11.30am: Wednesbury Connecting Communities, input from PCSOs regarding personal safety/hate crime. Engagement with group members to get their views and identify concerns

Some activities targeted for specific streets and neighbourhoods were publicised locally and some operations were only be publicised after they had taken place.