A CRIME-fighting vigilante mob has had its ranks bolstered by more than 1,000 new members in just 24 hours as members take it upon themselves to confront “lawless Britain”.
Set up just three weeks ago, community watchdog group We Stand Determined urge members to report any dangers the community across Birmingham as they have lost faith in police to cope with the rise in crime.
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And after the 400-strong group hit the headlines earlier this week, numbers swelled to 1,500 within hours.
Organiser Wayne, 47, a college lecturer from Solihull who has never revealed his real surname for fear of retribution from criminals, said: “We’re blown away.
“We didn’t expect to get such a huge response, but it just goes to show that we’re not the only people that feel the need to come together and take care of our community.
“We’ve had members join from all over the country – Germany, Australia, China, America and the British Virgin Islands. We want to thank everyone for supporting us and we hope to continue to make a difference within our community and others alike.”
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It comes after harrowing footage emerged of a gang of machete-wielding thugs attacking a man on a busy Birmingham street.
The group was originally launched after an unsuccessful petition to get more police in the area.
Organisers Wayne, Tracy and Michael turned vigilante after discovering a friend had been attacked in his home in Birmingham by thieves armed with hammers.
They now organise twice-weekly patrols across the city and insist the group is non-violent and seeks to work in partnership with the police, not against it.
THE RISE AND RISE OF CRIME: How reported crime numbers have rocketed across the West Midlands in recent years
WEST Midlands Police have been confronted with a significant rise in crime over the last few years.
In September this year, officers had 24,584 crimes reported to them according to the latest statistics.
The same statistic for September in 2017 is 23,208.
In 2016, officers had 22,379 reports of crime in September.
While in 2015, they had 20,248 reported for the month.
The crimes include anti-social behaviour, burglary, robbery, theft.
West Midlands Police is the second largest police force in the UK, covering an area of 348 square miles.
It serves a population of almost 2.6 million.
But they think crime in the UK is getting out of hand – with Birmingham recently blighted by a wave of stabbings, shootings and murders – and want to act as a new line of defence for the community.
Wayne said: “The way our group started, and the reaction we’ve had, has showed us how much local communities need groups like us to fill in the gaps the authorities simply don’t have the funding for.
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“There has been a recent spate of crime in Birmingham recently and Solihull in particular has fallen victim to an increase of just under 1,500 more cases so far this year.
“People needed someone to turn to, someone who will listen and visit them in their home if a constituent is fearful for their own safety.
“We’re vigilantes, but we’re vigilantes with a twist, working within the law and not against it.
“Our group is a central place for the local community to come together to log crimes, comment and help stop crime in the area.
“I just want to make a big difference to the area and help anyone, anywhere, who needs it. Crime here is getting out of hand.
Clik here to view.
“We’re so proud of our community, for standing up to what we believe is an ongoing issue that’s yet to have a solution.”
Tracy said We Stand Determined is not against West Midlands Police, as they understand the force can only do what they can with the funding they are given.
But the group say this doesn’t solve the problem of reduced Bobbies on the beat – so they were forced to themselves.
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We Stand Determined don’t want to stop at patrols and have big plans to generate a totally new level of support in the area by organising buddy systems for the elderly and defence classes for anyone who feels they need to be able to protect themselves.
They soon hope to grow bigger and have representatives based in every area of the country to work so Wayne, Tracy and Michael can help everyone sleep a little easier.
Tracy, 48, said: “We stress to our members that if they see something, they should notify the police first.
“We would like to join up with the police, but we want to be able to make our own decisions on where the help is really needed, and not where the police tell us to be.”
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said officers were aware of multiple groups but advised members to join police-approved Streetwatch programmes instead.