Chief constable hails 'fantastic results' as West Midlands Police reports drop in crime

Craig Guildford said that news of reductions in vehicle crime, burglary, robbery and knife crime were all positive signs of the work being done by the force to tackle crime across the West Midlands.

The chief constable was speaking as West Midlands Police produced the report of figures from the last year, ranging from July 2024 to June 2025, which it said showed a drop of almost 20,000 offences, around six per cent, compared to the previous 12 months.

This included nearly 2,000 fewer victims of domestic abuse, almost 1,500 fewer robberies and more than 3,800 fewer burglaries compared to last year, while knifepoint robberies were found to have fallen by 18 per cent in the last year with nearly 1,500 fewer robberies and 1,490 fewer knife crime offences.

The force also said it was arresting more people, with just under 58,000 arrests, a further rise of 9.2 per cent, made in the last year and had detected 13.79 per cent of all crime, compared to nine per cent the previous year.

It also said it now had seven custody blocks in operation compared to four in 2022 and had just refurbished Willenhall custody suite, increasing the number of cells from 20 to 24.

Chief Constable Craig Guildford said: “The continued success to cut crime across the West Midlands is a fantastic message to be able to deliver. 

"Vehicle crime, burglary, robbery and knife crime have all seen significant reductions.

“I hope our communities feel confident and reassured that our officers and staff are working tirelessly to cut crime in their area.

“The data reflects some very significant changes to the way we police on behalf of our communities on a daily basis and the results that these changes have brought. 

"We have been able to make substantial reductions in crime, to arrest more offenders and to ensure they are held to account for their crimes whilst we continue to protect the vulnerable.

“The continued drop in offences is clear, there are now considerably fewer victims of crime across the West Midlands compared to previous years and our work will continue.”

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "We are developing a new approach to ensure our communities benefit fully from their local officers and ensure we tackle the issues that affect local people. 

"We have moved to having dedicated neighbourhood policing officers for each of our wards that are working closely with local residents to address community priorities and concerns.

"This development is as a result of government funding, and we are seeing an increased number of police officers and additional Police Community Support Officers joining existing neighbourhood policing teams, demonstrating our commitment to having fully engaged and safer communities."