'I won't walk alone at night - I don't feel safe': Wolverhampton residents speak of fear following repeated violent attacks
Do you feel safe on the streets of Wolverhampton? It is a wonderful city, but recent violence has led many to ask that question.
We asked Wulfrunians how they felt after a series of murders and violent attacks in the city.
There is no suggestion the attacks are random, but the violence – and especially the use of guns – are making people feel uneasy.
Residents in some parts of the city say have been left feeling 'terrified' following at least three acts of violence that have resulted in the death of four people.
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A recent incident at Staveley Road in Whitmore Reans left three men injured and led to six arrests. Navpreet Singh died after an attack in Phoenix Park, Blakenhall, on October 22, which was just yards from a shooting in August that has led to a man admitting attempted murder.
Another man, Jermaine Smith, was shot dead on Lilleshall Crescent in All Saints on October 25, while detectives have also investigated a possible discharge of a gun in a nearby street on a separate occasion. In another act of violence, there was a daytime gun attack that left a man injured near Wolverhampton's city centre Sainsbury's store on October 13. And Duaine Mills and Syed Zain Ali, were fatally shot as they sat in a vehicle in Whitmore Reans on September 19.
In response to the frequent incidents of violence, West Midlands Police Chief Superintendent for Wolverhampton, Anthony Tagg, said that the force is 'doing everything we can' to make Wolverhampton a safer area, and that despite the attacks, crime in the region is on a decrease.
In an open letter for Express & Star, Chief Supt Tagg said that general crime in the area is down 10 per cent, while violent crime has decreased by 7.5 per cent.
