Knife-arches and drug dogs used at West Bromwich bus station as pupils head home

With ruthless dealers enticing or forcing schoolchildren to sell their drugs, the police installed a knife arch and took a drugs dog around the packed bus station just as pupils made their way home.

The operation was also designed to reassure bus passengers that the police are trying to combat knife crime in area.

PC Alex Davies, from West Bromwich Police Station, hoped the knife arch would help officers spot youngsters who have been forced to carry drugs.

He said: "If these youngsters are carrying drugs they often carry knives for protection. A knife arch helps us spot who might be carrying knives or weapons.

"Walking through is totally voluntary but it can create a reaction or suspicious behaviour if someone avoids it, that is when we will approach them."

As the youngsters recruited by drug gangs are often victims themselves, often being bullied, coerced or threatened by older criminals, the prosecution of youngsters is complicated. The Crown Prosecution Service has expert lawyers who deal with youngsters involved in crime, and decide if they will be in the dock or extricated from the gang for their own safety.

PC Davies said: "Unfortunately we are seeing younger and younger pupils carrying and using knives."

This week West Midlands Police are running operations across the region targeting county lines gangs. From drug raids to warning youngsters of the dangers of getting involved in crime the force is hoping the clampdown will thwart inner city drug dealers setting up shop is rural towns.

Youth workers in the Black Country warned ten years ago the axing of youth workers, clubs and street outreach workers would leave a vacuum for criminals to recruit children to do their dirty work. The sheer amount of children involved in serious attacks, stabbings, murders and possession of drugs has seen their tragic predictions come true.

Serious youth crime is here to stay and police forces are playing catch up to stop gangs grooming children for their own ends.

Finding drugs is the job of Lucky, the passive police drugs dog who got lots of attention in West Bromwich bus station as part of the operation. The vast majority of people can't help but smile when they see the beautiful brown and white dog, but it is those who try and avoid her that officers are lucking for.

PC Mark Collier, Lucky's handler, said: "Lucky is passive drugs dog which are in massive demand across the country now. She will be smelling for cocaine, cannabis and other drugs and is very good at her job.

"She is part of my family, when we spot people run the other way or act nervously around her then they could have drugs."

PC Davies believes the public are pleased to see a more visible presence in the town.

The 25-year-old said: "Two years ago people used to come up to me in the street and say 'why do we never see police on patrol around anymore?'

"Well I can't remember the last time anyone said that to me because we are out and about all the time. We are out in our uniforms in the town centre until the shops close and people go home. People are now used to coming to us with their problems, they know we will try and make a difference.

"In West Bromwich we work closely with street ambassadors who help us bridge the gap with the local community.

"They can help people who are experiencing homelessness and other problems, a no drinking zone helped us target a group of drinkers who were having too much alcohol and then fighting one another, we have solved that problem.

"Putting a knife arch and having a drugs sniffer dog here today along with several officers shows we are here to combat all types of crime. This knife arch is combatting county lines gangs as well as re-assuring bus passengers we are trying to stop crime.

"Trying to stop county lines gangs takes all types of operations, and setting up a knife arch at a bus station after school closing is part of this, we know these gangs use schoolchildren and this is about disrupting them."

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