Violent disturbances in Canley may be drug-related

A violent outbreak in Canley on Thursday 12 November saw an armed assault, car joust and collision. Events resulted in a man being taken to hospital.

This most recent incident is a culmination of a series of neighbourhood complaints, including houses being egged, water-balloons, stones thrown at cars and persistent catcalling.

“This is on top of regular harassment by residents of the estate,” said a local occupant. “Residents can tell you’re a student too, so it makes us an obvious target for such harassment.”

Allegations claim Thursday’s violent outbreak involved a substantial monetary debt between the victim and an affiliate of the aggressor, possibly involving local drug trafficking.

According to reports, a man’s scream was followed by the revving of cars. A man with a machete and a dog then proceeded to get of his car and attempt to assault someone.

The cars began to repeatedly and violently ram into each other, this resulting in a collision with a vehicle in the area.

The neighbourhood police received a call at 9.42pm and arrived at the intersection of Gerard Avenue and Queen Margaret’s Road soon after.

However, officers who arrived on site failed to verify the safety of local residents and were uninformed about the involvement of the machete, despite this having been mentioned in initial calls to the department.

Local law enforcement told the Boar a 17-year-old teenager had received minor head injuries, but other reports claim a man had also been hospitalised. The police stated that enquiries are on-going.

“Local officers have increased patrols in the area over the last week to offer reassurance to residents,” said Sergeant Nathan Witts, from the Whoberley and Woodlands neighbourhood team. “Anyone concerned about what happened can either stop and chat to one of my officers on patrol or contact me by calling 101.”

The West Midlands Police recently announced a £130 million budget cut to take place over the next 5 years. This will cost the neighbourhood 80% of its police community support officers (PCSOs) and an estimated 2,500 jobs, leaving the force smaller than at its inception in 1974.

Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson told the Coventry Telegraph “As over four-fifths of our costs are wages, there is only so much we can do without making difficult choices.”

“I will do all I can to ensure neighbourhood policing continues to be at the forefront of everything that West Midlands Police does, but in future it will have to be delivered with fewer staff and in a more focused way.”