Ocean Village: Police refuse to send out officer after car break-ins

Residents in Ocean Village have been beleaguered by criminals targeting the undercroft car parks in Channel Way.

Officers did issue a warning on social media about the incidents - but one victim was told no-one would be deployed to investigate due to costs and workload.

Kyle Hodson's BMW 3 Series was badly damaged in the car park at Admirals Quay, with the passenger window completely smashed, and glass scattered on the ground.

READ MORE: Thieves target cars in Ocean Village in Southampton

There were paint scratches and tears on the leather seats, along with damage to the wing mirror. Repairs will cost £1,000.

Kyle said there was blood smeared on his car's windows, along with fingerprints. Two pairs of sunglasses were also taken. Three other cars were targeted on February 5.

He told the Echo: "I am extremely disappointed, particularly given the evidence available at the scene. 

"If the police are not going to investigate, what message does this send to the criminals?

"Is it to continue at your leisure as we are not interested in defending the rule of law? 

"It is a very dangerous step towards a lawless society.

"I also filed a formal complaint, but to no avail." 

He is now demanding more action from the force. 

Police warning of car thefts in Ocean Village (Image: Southampton Cops)

He added: "Police should investigate (incidents) properly and send a strong message to the perpetrators in question - crime will not be tolerated, and there are repercussions for your actions." 

An email to Kyle from the police said: "The officer reviewing this crime concluded that these enquiries were not proportionate to deploying a crime scene investigator due to the cost implications and their current workload."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the residents association of Admirals Quay apartments said: "We are extremely concerned about the recent number of thefts, attempted thefts, and damage being caused to property in the undercroft car parks in Ocean Village.

"Despite there being a concierge presence and the marina's own security personnel, these incidents still occur."

"We have repeatedly asked the management company to improve the CCTV. 

"Given that most leaseholders of these properties pay in excess of £3,000 per year for their service charge, it’s unacceptable that these incidents are still occurring." 

Echo has contacted RMG for a response. 

Acting inspector Jabr Shaladan, who runs the Southampton Central Neighbourhoods Policing Team, said: "Since we became aware of the issue in Channel Way, we have increased patrols in the area, including on push bikes, and made sure officers are patrolling in the early hours when there is the best opportunity to catch offenders.

"Unfortunately in this case, there was no confirmed CCTV of the offence taking place or other viable lines of enquiry, so it was closed by our triage hub as per the criteria the force follows.

"However, my team is continuing to respond to the issue proactively, and if any new lines of enquiry are uncovered, the case could be reopened."

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this article on the Daily Echo. Your support means we can bring you the latest breaking news, exclusive Saints features and coverage - and much more.

Digital subscribers get unrestricted access to all of our stories, our dedicated app including e-version of the newspaper, and an advertising-light website.

If you want all the latest articles delivered straight to your inbox you can join the thousands of subscribers who are signed up to our newsletters.

They include our popular daily morning news briefing, breaking news, crime and court, and Southampton FC bulletins - plus business, heritage and our what's on newsletters.