KNIFE crime in the West Midlands increased by 13 per cent last year, new figures reveal.
As national levels of knife crime rose to a record high, the West Midlands saw one of the highest regional jumps in the country.
Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said the increase showed the need for more government funding.
“The government needs to take note of these statistics and give forces like West Midlands Police the resources we need,” he said.
The West Midlands also saw an increase in overall crimes of three per cent, despite a five per cent fall in crime nationally.
Mr Jamieson said: “ What we see here is that crime is changing and not falling. With more crime going online, that is much harder to record and these levels of demand, which we are likely to return to after the lockdown, being able to properly address these challenges is vital.
“In these difficult times with the coronavirus outbreak continuing to present challenges to policing and society as a whole, we need to ensure that our communities stay safe and follow the COVID-19 guidance. Our police are continuing to tackle crime but these statistics also need to be a wakeup call.
“The government needs to take note of these statistics and give forces like West Midlands Police the resources we need. These figures are testament to the need for increased long term funding for policing and crucially for services to support young people which have been devastated over recent years.
“Government cuts have meant West Midlands Police has lost more than 2,200 police officers since 2010 and seen its budget shrink by £175m. Even with the Prime Minister’s announcement of additional police officers, our force is only due to receive 1,200 officers back over the next 3 years far short of what we’ve lost.
“It is promising to see falling numbers of acquisitive crimes like burglary, theft, shoplifting and vehicle crime which is testament to the hard work of West Midlands Police officers. On vehicle crime, our intensive strategy of clamping down on the organised criminals, chop shops and their illegal dealings is producing very positive results.
“I continue to have concerns about the increase in violent crime which has risen in the West Midlands. That is why this month we have launched the Violence Reduction Unit which is allowing us to scale up our response to violence.
“It should also be noted that whilst good quality policing is crucial to reducing crime, other services have a big role to play to. We need to see an increase in youth services and mental health if the government are serious about tackling the root causes of crime too.”
Joe Traynor, from the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice, said: “The 2019 data revealed different patterns for specific types of crime, for instance, robbery increased but burglary decreased, while fraud and lower-harm violent offences remained stable. Although the number of homicides where a knife or sharp instrument was used fell across the country, it increased in London.”
West Midlands Police referred questions to the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office.
