Tackling West Midlands knife crime a priority, says police boss

It comes as figures from the police force showed that the number of children involved in knife crime in the West Midlands has almost tripled in the last five years.

But police bosses say these crimes involve only a tiny proportion of young people in the region and action is being taken to work proactively to try to deter knife crimes from happening in the first place.

Two new knife surrender bins have also been installed in the region – one on Duke Street in Stourbridge and another outside St Peter’s Church in Wolverhampton.

The Stourbridge knife bin has been installed after support from the family of 24-year-old Ryan Passey, who was stabbed to death during a night out in the town in 2017.

Chief Superintendent Steve Graham, West Midlands Police lead for violence, said: "We know how concerning serious youth violence and knife crime is for everyone and it is a force priority for us.

"Our region has one of the youngest populations in Europe and thankfully these crimes involve only a tiny proportion of our young people. But for even one child to become a victim of crime or any young person to be drawn into youth violence, is one too many.

“The way we record knife crimes has changed over recent years, so data from different years is not always directly comparable. But that doesn’t diminish the untold grief and anguish such awful incidents cause and we understand that they have long-reaching impacts for all those involved.

"We also understand that the root causes are varied and complex, so our approach to combatting these crimes, and keep young people safe, is always evolving.

“We’re working with schools, colleges, councils and others – including the Violence Reduction Partnership – on our education programme highlighting the dangers of knife crime and how to report concerns."

Chief Superintendent Graham added that the police force always follows up information about people who carry weapons and will continue to ask parents to talk to their children about the realities of carrying a knife and what to do if they’re confronted.

In addition, police also carry out pop-up knife operations with metal detectors at schools, bus stations and other places where young people meet up.

The rollout of the knife surrender bins is part of a concerted effort by the region's police and crime commissioner, Simon Foster, to tackle violence and reduce harm.

All the knives and weapons deposited into the knife bins are destroyed.

After the installation of the latest bins, the region will have 23 weapon surrender bins across the Black Country, Birmingham, Solihull and Coventry.

The West Midlands' assistant police and crime commissioner, Tom McNeil, said: “These bins are just one measure needed to get knives off our streets – alongside much earlier intervention including support for young people in difficult circumstances, and tackling big issues that drive crime such as mental ill health and addiction.

“The bins are providing people with a legal and safe way to dispose of knives which they shouldn’t be carrying. Every knife posted into a surrender bin is potentially a life saved.

“These bins prove most effective when the community wants them and the message the PCC and I have been receiving loud and clear is that more are needed.

“Knives can ruin the lives of individuals, families and entire communities. If you have a knife or any weapon, or know somebody who does, I strongly recommend you dispose of it in one of these bins.”

Knife crime has more than doubled across the West Midlands since 2012.

To find out how you can help tackle knife crime visit lifeorknife.west-midlands.police.uk