Security at the University of Birmingham
In the early hours of Sunday morning (7 October), there was a violent incident in Selly Oak. A man was seriously injured. While the victim is not a University of Birmingham student, we are aware that students were in the vicinity of what happened. Our thoughts are with the victim and his family and friends at this difficult time.
By Monday morning, three individuals had been arrested in relation to this offence, in part thanks to the evidence provided by students in the immediate aftermath of the incident. The Police would like to extend their thanks to those who have supported the investigation. The Police continue to ask anyone with any information on this incident to contact them as a matter of urgency, anonymously if necessary. Full details of the Police statement and contact details can be found on the West Midlands Police website.
In addition, those believed responsible for a burglary in the same area have also been arrested.
The safety of students is of critical importance, and the University is working closely with the Police and the Guild to respond to safety concerns and took part in a joint meeting on Monday morning (8 October).
At the beginning of this term, the police presence was increased in the Bournbrook area, with four officers now on duty every night from 23:00 to 06:00. Additionally, officers have been patrolling Selly Oak during the day and asking people to confirm their identity, to get a sense of who is around. Following this incident, there will be a further visibly increased police presence to reassure residents in the area.
Students affected by the incident or who want to talk to someone are encouraged to come to the Aston Webb Student Hub. Any students affected by this incident can drop-in at any time and our staff will be able to see them immediately. In addition, the Community Living Hub at Bournbrook on the edge of campus is open for students to access for support. This weekend, the Community Living Hub hosted an event in partnership with the Police, to welcome students who live in Selly Oak and provide them with support and advice around a host of issues. In addition, the joint Police and Security Office in University Centre is a place that students can access to discuss crime prevention and policing in general.
Additional security that was put in place for this term following student feedback includes five Special Constables which will patrol campus in partnership with the Police in coming weeks, part-funded by the University. This supports well established work led by the Guild through Community Wardens. Further measures to increase the safety and security of students are being put in place and will be announced in the coming weeks.