We visited Bordesley Green – one of Birmingham’s most dangerous areas outside the city centre – to speak with local people about crime, safety, and what needs to change.
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00:00Official figures place Bordesley Green among the most dangerous areas in Birmingham outside
00:07the city centre. Violent and sexual offences make up the largest proportion of reported
00:12crimes here. In just one recent month, over 150 such incidents were logged by police.
00:19But statistics alone don't reveal how people feel living with that reality. Whether it's
00:23on the school run, commuting to work or just walking to the shops, safety plays a part
00:28in dialect decision making. That's why we've come here to ask residents directly about
00:33their experiences. Do people here feel safe? Are their concerns being addressed? And has
00:38anything changed over time?
00:42Uh, not so safe. I feel like it's rather tense. You have to be on very cautious. Cars
00:49come in or other people are coming. And sometimes alright, depending on if you're a man, but
00:57unless you're a woman.
00:59I know everybody around here, so nobody ain't gonna bother me, but that's just me. But for
01:04other people, it might be that way. You know, they might feel unsafe because they haven't
01:11been around here long.
01:12No, I think we're all safe. We've all felt safe. I have anyway.
01:16Yeah, I walk around at night and at day. It seems safer in myself. I heard there was a
01:21little something going on down the road a couple of weeks ago, but I don't know. I've
01:26never saw anything happen.
01:28West Midlands police figures show a high volume of incidents reported in Bordesley Green,
01:33with violence and antisocial behaviour leading the list. But behind the numbers are wider
01:38social and economic questions. Local facilities, housing conditions, employment opportunities
01:44and visible policing levels all contribute to the picture. The area has a high population
01:50density and serves a broad demographic, including many families and young people. These conditions
01:55are often linked to increased pressure on public services. We've been speaking to people
01:59here to better understand what they believe contributes to crime levels in this part of
02:04the city.
02:05It's not really looked after, so more people are going to go places they don't really care
02:10about. And there's more places to hide and overall there's more connections with other
02:16areas, so it's easier to go through.
02:18West Midlands police don't even pay attention here no more. They've given up on the area.
02:22That's right, yeah.
02:24I have my point of opinion, and he'll agree with me as well. If there's a fight or a disturbance
02:29happening down the road here, they won't bother. Until the crime's over, until someone's murdered,
02:33then they'll come. But where there's clash areas, like, for example, Sutton Coalfield,
02:38Wormley, go over them sides. They'll go there straight away.
02:42Straight away.
02:43Probably I'd say there's a lot of people that need help around here. Homeless people, people
02:46with addictions and that are not getting help. I'd say help them is probably solving a lot
02:50of the problem. Myself, I think they're treated as criminals when they should be treated as
02:57people who need medical help.