Knife crime in the West Midlands rose by 13 per cent in the last year, according to newly released figures.

24 April 2020

Data from the Office for National Statistics released yesterday shows there were 3,624 knife offences in the Force area between January and December 2019, up from 3,210 the previous year. It’s the highest figure in the last decade.

The increase was above the national average. The total number of offences involving knives or sharp instruments in England and Wales (excluding Greater Manchester Police) grew by seven per cent.

West Midlands Police Federation chair Jon Nott called for knife crime offenders to be properly punished to help deter people from carrying blades.

“Knife crime is a priority for the public and the police,” he said, “Our members are working hard to tackle what is a scourge on our communities.

“It can have a huge impact on people’s lives and our officers, who are often first on the scene, all too often see at first-hand the devastation knife crime causes.

“We need to ensure that we’re working together and doing everything possible to discourage people from carrying knives and, when people are involved in knife offences, we need to ensure they receive tough sentences not just to punish them but also to send out a clear message to others who might consider getting involved in these types of crimes.”

John Apter, chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, called for increased funding for forces to tackle knife crime.

He said: “Yet again we see the effects of austerity that have necessitated this current Government’s investment in funding and the 20,000-officer uplift announced last year – investment that will still only bring us back to pre-2008 levels.

“However, it will take time for the effects of this much needed investment to be felt and we can see the results in these figures. It is a tragedy that knife crime continues to spiral as my colleagues are stretched to their limits, and with fewer officers on patrol it comes as no surprise that street crime such as robbery has increased.”

Other national statistics include:

• A three per cent decrease in recorded offences involving firearms
• A one per cent increase in vehicle offences
• A two per cent increase in the overall number of homicides, this includes a single incident with 39 homicide victims, which if excluded shows a four per cent decrease overall.

John added: “Understandably, the next, post COVID-19 release will look quite different, as long-term lockdown will affect the statistics. What this current crisis has highlighted, though, is the other story told in these figures – that policing desperately needs long-term, sustained funding unaffected by political priorities so that we can tackle crime head-on.”