Crime fighting campaigns run by students in Birmingham are so successful that a plans to heighten robbery awareness have been cancelled.
On top of that, thefts and burglaries from student houses in the city's Selly Oak neighbourhood have dropped 70% to the lowest crime figures recorded for 55 months.
A police swoop on a number of suspects cleaned up street crime, and no robberies have been reported in the area since the arrests.
The massive decrease in burglaries and thefts from homes is credited to a new joint security team of students and police targeting the area.
The team visited students in their homes to discuss security, set up a mobile text early warning system reporting crime information and helped students tag their valuables with an ultraviolet DNA tracer to aid police in identifying stolen property.
The tactic of inflating a balloon inside open windows and doors highlighted possible security breaches for dozens of householders.
Fantastic results on student crime
“We’ve had some more fantastic results on crime,” said Jonny Kirby, Vice President Housing and Community for the University of Birmingham Guild of Students.
“We had a spike of robbery at the turn of the year, but the police have arrested some individuals and since then no further robberies have taken place. This has put plans I had with to run a robbery campaign slightly on hold for the meantime.”
Burglaries in Selly Oak generally surge as students move in for the start of the academic year.
Many are away from home for the first time and are unaware of the dangers of leaving valuables on show and windows open.
This year, the security team patrolled the neighbourhood and handed out crime prevention advice to students.
“Community wardens are committed to making sure Selly Oak is a better place for all who live there. With the latest figures, it certainly seems that their dedication and tenacity is starting to pay off.
“The fact that burglaries in the area have dropped by 70%, during a time notorious for break-ins, is a tremendous achievement,” said Mr Kirby.
The Bournbrook district of Selly Oak is home to about 8,000 students.
