More than 1,300 deadly weapons set to be destroyed after being handed in
More than 1,300 deadly weapons taken off the streets of the West Midlands through surrender bins are set to be destroyed.
The haul – including knives, guns and machetes – have been dropped in 20 of the containers, known better as knife bins.
The 1,321 weapons have been dropped into the secure containers which are located across the region to curb rising crime.
Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster said: "Every weapon that is deposited into these bins is potentially saving a life.
"With this number of weapons collected in such a short period of time, clearly these bins are working by taking dangerous items off our streets.
"I’m committed to investing in more preventative programmes to stop violence happening in the first place.
"The West Midlands Violence Reduction Unit is working at pace to deliver a range of interventions that will help us intervene to prevent violent crime.
"We also have our expanded police gangs unit working to disrupt and take on those who are responsible for violence.”
The massive haul has been collected over the past six months – and the PCC is hoping to expand the programme further with the aim of reducing violence and getting more weapons off the streets.
In March this year more than 800 weapons including knives, swords and a bayonet have been taken off the streets of the West Midlands through the weapon surrender bins.
And it comes as knife crime has more than doubled across the West Midlands since 2012 with police officials pledging to do more to tackle the issue – with Government chiefs set to hand the region's force new powers to tackle the issue.
West Midlands Police has been chosen by Ministers as one of four in the country to pilot Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs), which give officers powers to target convicted knife and offensive weapons offenders.
The move means police have the automatic right to search anyone who has previously been convicted of a weapons offence, without needing to suspect the individual of committing a crime. Ministers say the orders will help police get more violent criminals off the streets, and also act as a deterrent to people thinking of carrying a blade.
People who want to dispose of weapons can do so at four knife bins which can be found in Wolverhampton – at St Chad and St Mark's Church in Lime Street, Morrison's in Bilston, the Tabernacle Baptist Church on Dunstall Road, and the New Testament Church of God on Wednesfield Road.
Other bins include at The Cornbow Shopping Centre in Halesowen, Tesco Extra on Birmingham Road in Dudley, Tesco on Littleton Street West in Walsall and at Sainsbury's on Freeth Street, Oldbury with others in Birmingham.
