Coventry City Council and West Midlands Police joined forces to raise awareness of efforts to tackle anti-social behaviour across the city centre, with a particular focus on the risks posed by illegally ridden e-bikes.
As part of the initiative, two police horses made an appearance in the city centre last week, drawing attention from shoppers and passers-by. It was the first time mounted officers had patrolled the area in more than 25 years.
The visit formed part of a wider day of action that saw neighbourhood policing teams work alongside the Police Mounted Unit, Business Improvement District (BID) officers and representatives from the Offender to Recovery scheme. Together they carried out engagement work and retail crime patrols throughout the city centre.
Councillor John McNicholas, the council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Cohesion, joined officers on patrol to discuss ongoing safety priorities in the city centre.
Reflecting on the return of the mounted unit, he said it was “great” to see the horses back after such a long absence, adding that their presence helps build public trust and confidence, a message he described as particularly important for reassuring residents.
Councillor McNicholas also spoke of encounters during the patrol, including thanking a member of the public who was responsibly wheeling rather than riding an e-bike through the pedestrianised city centre. He also heard directly from a man who had previously shoplifted daily to fund a drug addiction before receiving help through the Offender to Recovery programme. That support, the councillor said, had allowed the man to overcome his addiction, and he is now helping other people going through similar struggles.
Councillor McNicholas praised the continued collaboration between the council, police and other partner agencies, describing joint working as essential to tackling crime effectively.
Wider Enforcement Action
The community engagement work coincided with a separate, larger operation led by West Midlands Police on the same day. Across the force area, officers made 38 arrests, carried out 18 stop-and-searches and seized 23 vehicles, alongside numerous positive interactions with members of the public.
Specialist off-road bike and road harm prevention teams patrolled the city centre before extending operations into the Stoke, Wyken, Henley, Longford and Foleshill areas. Eight vehicles were seized during these patrols for offences including driving without insurance or vehicle tax.
Meanwhile, Safer Travel officers set up a knife arch at Pool Meadow bus station as part of efforts to detect weapons being carried through the transport hub. Elsewhere, teams engaged with local businesses to offer crime prevention guidance and targeted patrols in known hotspot areas in an effort to identify repeat offenders.
The activity took place during National ASB Awareness Week, a nationwide campaign highlighting efforts to reduce anti-social behaviour in communities.
