West Midlands sees 30 per cent decrease in knife-related robberies under taskforce crackdown as police pledge 'toughest measures yet'
Figures have revealed a sharp drop in the number of knife-related robberies following intense police action.
New figures released by the Home Office have revealed a 30 per cent drop in the amount of "knife-enabled robberies" recorded in the West Midlands in the past year.
The figures, including robberies that involved a knife, or the threat of one, showed that nationally a 10 per cent reduction of offences was experienced across the seven police forces most impacted by knife crime.
The latest data for the West Midlands, covering September 2024 to August 2025, showed a sharp drop in knife robberies compared to the "baseline" year (July 2023 to June 2024).
West Midlands Police recorded 2,558 such robberies in the baseline year, and 1,787 were reported in the latest period, representing a drop of 771 (30 per cent).
The Home Office said that the West Midlands experienced the sharpest drop following an increase in targeted policing efforts, including the use of 'hotspot policing', acting on better intelligence from offenders, increased patrols using knife arches, and the use of drones and plain clothes officers.
Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said: "Those who have been robbed at knifepoint know how terrifying and traumatic that experience can be, and this Government took immediate action through the Plan for Change to reverse this troubling trend.
“Through relentless focus, targeted policing and strong partnerships, we are turning this worrying rise into a sustained fall, and we have also started to see a reduction in overall knife crime for the first time in four years.
“But there is so much more to do, which is why we are bringing in the toughest measures yet to crack down on the online sale of weapons and invest in the futures of our young people to set them on a better path."
The decline also come alongside the inclusion of Ronan's Law, which made it illegal to sell, manufacture, or import ninja swords.
Ronan's Law was implemented after years of campaigning by Pooja Kanda, the mother of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda, who was murdered with a ninja-style sword in Wolverhampton in a case of mistaken identity in 2022.
Ms Kanda said: "The statistics show that the Government has taken a proactive approach to reducing knife-enabled robberies.
“The significant drop we are seeing is a positive sign and a step closer to the Government’s mission of halving knife crime within a decade — something I’m confident we will achieve with the continued support and hard work of campaigners and the Government alike."
Beyond the ban, Ronan's Law is also working to introduce age verification for the online sale of knives, fines for tech executives who fail to remove illegal knife content, and new offences for possession with violent intent.
Mark Brindley, father of James Brindley, who was killed after being stabbed in a random act of violence in Aldridge, Walsall, in 2017, said that while the reduced figures are 'positive', efforts must be made to 'understand' why some young people choose to carry weapons.
Mr Brindley said: "The intelligence-led approach by West Midlands police is clearly having an immediate positive impact on street safety, but to secure a long-term downward trend, we must focus on understanding the reasons why some young people carry weapons.
"The James Brindley Foundation takes a trauma-informed approach to early intervention by tackling the root causes, not just the symptoms of knife crime.
"Our aim is to break the cycle of harm and violence by helping young people to understand the consequences of their behaviours, helping them to develop emotional regulation and resilience, in order to make safer choices."
As well as a 30 per cent reduction in the West Midlands, the British Transport Police reported 107 fewer offences since June 2024, with the Metropolitan Police also reporting a 5 per cent decrease overall.
