West Midlands Police sees country's biggest rise in crime amid surge in violence

The latest official statistics show crime shot up by 21 per cent in the region in the year to June – more than twice the level of the next worst performing force in the country.

Violence against the person shot up by a staggering 45 per cent, after 137,549 crimes were recorded, while weapons possession surged by 45 per cent, stalking and harassment cases doubled and sexual offences went up by a third.

The force recorded 4,500 offences involving a knife, a fall of three per cent on the previous year, while the number of murders went up by six per cent to 53 - the second highest in the country after the Met.

There were reductions in thefts (seven per cent), burglary (16 per cent) and criminal damage and arson (11 per cent).

The figures highlight the huge task ahead for the region's Labour crime commissioner Simon Foster, who has vowed to clamp down on violence since he was elected in May.

He has continued to blame cuts in Government funding for the force's failings and said some increases were down to "better recording practices".

But he has been urged to "stop trying to score political points" and focus on reducing crime.

Mr Foster said: "Government cuts since 2010 have hit West Midlands Police harder than almost any other force in the country and as a result it has shrunk by a quarter.

"This has made it harder for it to tackle all the crimes in the way that it would like.

“It is well documented that violent crimes are on the rise, including domestic abuse and stalking, although these increases in part are down to better recording practices within the force.

“I was elected earlier this year, but I have already pledged to put 450 police officers back on the streets in our area in order to rebuild community policing.

"This will help, but if we are to give West Midlands Police the very best chance to dramatically reduce crime, then the Government needs to urgently replace all of the 2,200 officers we’ve lost in the last decade."

West Midlands Police has received the biggest funding boost outside the Met this year, and is getting 1,200 new officers by 2023 under a Government uplift plan.

Mike Wood, Conservative MP for Dudley South, has questioned Mr Foster's recently released crime plan, which includes measures to overhaul stop and search.

He said: "There is little in the plan that will address the fact that, while most of the country has seen crime fall over the past year, the West Midlands has seen a big increase in total crime and an even bigger rise in violent crime.

"Instead of trying to score political points, our PCC should be looking at why under his watch and that of his predecessor the figures for the West Midlands are so much worse than Greater Manchester, worse than Merseyside, worse than London and worse than West Yorkshire - all of which have faced similar challenges through the pandemic."

Meanwhile crime fell by eight per cent in the Staffordshire Police area, although violence against the person rose by five per cent with 31,435 offences recorded.

Deputy Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine said: "We recognise that our biggest crime types are stalking and harassment, domestic abuse and rape and we are doing lots to tackle them.

"We know the last year or so has been tough on relationships and that people have been suffering domestic abuse in both physical and psychological forms.

"But we need people to know there is no need to suffer alone and the force, along with the many charities and refuges across the West Midlands, are ready, willing and able to help."