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West Midlands knife crime up by a fifth as it hits another record high

Knife crime in the West Midlands has shot up by 20 per cent over the last 12 months, hitting another record high.

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Knife crime has hit another record high in the West Midlands Police force area

Office for National Statistics figures for West Midlands Police showed there were 3,560 crimes involving a blade in the year to June, marking one of the biggest rises for any force in the country.

Overall crime went up by 10 per cent. There were 80,542 violent crimes, including 53 murders – a spike of 32 per cent – and sexual offences increased by 19 per cent.

The figures also show that robbery and drug offences both rose by 16 per cent.

Meanwhile Staffordshire Police was one of only five forces in the country to see a drop in crime.

Overall crime fell by one per cent. There were 667 offences involving knives (down one per cent) and burglary was down by 11 per cent.

Criminal damage and arson saw a four per cent decrease, and public order offences were down eight per cent.

The county's force did see a 37 per cent rise in theft and violent crime was up by four per cent.

Across England and Wales crime went up by six per cent in the 12 months to June, with knife crime up seven per cent to a record high of just over 44,000.

West Midlands Police has launched a violence reduction unit (VRU) in a bid to clamp down on knife and gun crime, which have continued to rise over the past five years.

The force is due to get an extra 366 officers over the next 18 months as part of a national recruitment drive.

However, Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson says the boost is not enough to cover the funding and officers that have been lost in the last decade.

He said he continues to have concerns over the increase in violent crime and that the VRU would allow the force to "scale up" its response.

“We continue to drive efficiencies," he added. "We are cutting down on bureaucracy and giving officers the technology to do their job on the move, so they don’t have to come back to a police building unnecessarily.

"These efficiencies are helping officers spend more time in communities, where the public want them.

“The government needs to take note of these statistics and give forces like West Midlands Police the resources we need."

Mr Jamieson said the figures proved the need for increased funding for police over the long term.

Liberal Democract campaigners in the Black Country have backed calls for extra resources for the force.

Ian Jenkins said: “Cuts to youth services and police numbers are linked to the rise, yet again, in violent crime on our streets.

"Far too many young lives are being taken by an epidemic of knife crime. I worry that certain places are becoming a no-go zones, because of a fear of crime

“We demand more police, to prevent gangs from operating and to keep communities safe.”

Staffordshire Police's Deputy Chief Constable, Nick Baker, said: “We are working hard to tackle crime in Staffordshire and make the county a safer place to live, work and visit.

“While we welcome these latest Home Office figures - and we’re proud to be one of only five forces in the country to see a drop in overall crime – we recognise there is much work to be done.

“Overall crime has fallen by one per cent, burglaries have fallen by 11 per cent and public order offences have dropped. However, we need to work harder to address an increase in theft from person.

“We will continue to prioritise the crimes that cause the greatest harm, as well as tackling the issues that cause local concern.

"As a force we continue to focus on crime prevention through better intelligence, working with our partners and taking robust action.

“We have introduced a more modernised service to policing in Staffordshire, which has seen a significant investment in neighbourhood policing in recent years.

"These officers are focusing more on proactive policing in communities, developing specialist capabilities for more complex crime and working with our partners to find effective ways of intervening early to prevent crime and harm.”