Knife crime rising in the Black Country
Knife crime is rising in the Black Country with the number of arrests for knife possession almost doubling in three years – including 21 arrests for possessions of blades on school premises.
West Midlands Police arrested 38 people for possessing ‘knives, blades or sharp pointed articles’ in 2014 across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton – but this hit 73 in 2016.
David Jamieson, West Midlands police and crime commissioner, said ‘tackling knife crime is one of the top priorities’ for police in the West Midlands. The figures were revealed following an information request to West Midlands Police.
The biggest number of arrests for possessing ‘knives, blades or sharply-pointed articles’ were in Sandwell over the three years. The borough saw 65 arrests, compared to 45 in Wolverhampton, 22 in Walsall and 21 in Dudley. And the number of arrests also shot up year on year in Sandwell, from five in 2014, to 16 in 2015, and 44 in 2016.
But Councillor Preet Gill, cabinet member for public health and protection at Sandwell Council, said these statistics showed police were carrying out a ‘pro-active approach’ to knife crime in the borough.
“I think there has been a massive campaign around weapons and young people having them in possession,” she said. “Sandwell launched the ‘drop your weapons bin’ in West Bromwich. I think the police have been pro-active around this. It is positive that there has been more arrests, and I hope it gets a clear message to people that we are prioritising people’s safety.”
The FOI figures showed that the number of arrests for ‘offensive weapons’ also rose each year across the Black Country – from 57 in 2014, to 60 in 2015 and 67 in 2016.
Meanwhile, there were 21 arrests on school premises for possessions of blades or sharply-pointed articles.
Mr Jamieson said: “Tackling knife crime is one of the top priorities for me and West Midlands Police. I have introduced a Commission on Gangs and Violence to address the root causes of knife crime in the region and also led a successful campaign to get zombie knives banned.”
“My office supports 13 knife surrender bins across the Black Country and Birmingham and I would urge anyone with a blade – or worried family and friends – to do the right thing and deposit them in one of the bins.
“West Midlands Police also run the hard-hitting ‘Either way, he’s not coming home’ campaign, which appeals to the mothers of young men to speak to them about the dangers of carrying a knife.”
