West Midlands is UK's 'gun crime capital'
The West Midlands has been named as the UK's gun crime capital, for the second year in a row.
But the new figures do not including the latest shooting crimewave, as just last week there were two shootings in the space of two hours in Hawkesley and Handsworth.
And earlier this month company director Akhtar Javeed was shot dead during an attempted robbery at his warehouse in Digbeth.
The Office for National Statistics recorded 562 offences for the 12 months up to April 2015, an increase on the 540 in the previous year.
Deputy Chief Constable Dave Thompson has said gun crime is back in the West Midlands in a way 'not seen for five years', and believes the increase in the availability in ammunition could be behind the return of firearms being used.
The figures mean the West Midlands now has a gun crime rate of 20 per 100,000 people, which is higher than the 19 per 100,000 for the Metropolitan Police, Greater Manchester (16) and Merseyside (12).
The figures do not include three murders since the summer, with the force mounting 23 intelligence-led tactical firearm operations to combat the violence in January alone.
They increased armed patrols in parts of the region and have made a number of arrests linked to gun crime.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said: "A priority for me in 2016 is working with the force to tackle gun and knife crime. The number of offences are much lower than they were a decade ago, but we cannot let up in our pursuit of people who carry and trade illegal weapons.
"I am committed to recruiting more Police Officers and deliver on the promise of recruiting 450 more officers by the end of the next financial year. They will help in the fight against gun crime."
The Commissioner has also launched a Community Weapons Surrender in response to the recent spike in gun crime in Birmingham.
People are encouraged to 'bin' weapons of all descriptions during the next six months in existing knife bins.
Mr Jamieson added: "This Weapons Surrender will give people a place to safely offload items, which could have very easily destroyed lives. This initiative will only be successful if the community backs it.
"I would like to express my thanks to the organisations that host the knife bins and for everybody who is helping to spread the message that the carrying of weapons is never acceptable in our communities.
"My overwhelming message is that disposing of your weapon in a 'bin' will probably be the best decision you'll ever make.
"The message is clear, don't carry a weapon, it is no way to protect yourself and ultimately there is a much greater chance that it will put you in even more harm."
