WEST Midlands Police has boosted its numbers to continue the work to tackle youth violence, knife crime and other criminal activity in the region.
The force says it now has Special Constables routinely attached to the Project Guardian Taskforce – the specialist team to combat serious violence involving young people.
The Specials are working alongside regular officers to carry out patrols and be involved in operations to prevent crime and disorder.
Since the summer the valued volunteers have already been seizing weapons and making arrests.
Specials have the same powers and wear the same uniform as standard officers, and play an invaluable role in helping keep the public safe and stopping crime.
Superintendent Gareth Morris, who leads Project Guardian, said: “The support of our Specials is making a real difference in our drive to reduce violence, seize weapons and keep the streets safe.
“With more numbers we’re able to boost the team’s impact and provide a more presence out in our communities. We know how concerning serious youth violence and knife crime is for everyone and we’re committed to doing all we can to address this.
“We’re also 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.
“We continue to ask parents to talk to their youngsters about the realities of carrying a weapon.”
For more on how to speak to young people about knife crime visit https://lifeorknife.west-midlands.police.uk/
