Call to declare ‘public safety emergency' in Birmingham after attacks

Conservative councillors are urging the Labour-run authority to adopt their proposed ‘action plan to make Birmingham safer’ amid recent stabbings in the city centre.

Earlier this month five people including four teenagers were arrested after a 17-year-old was stabbed outside the Bullring.

The Conservatives' plan includes setting up a high street safety task force, including business groups, to tackle the issue of violent and sexual crimes.

But the Labour administration has hit out at the opposition, saying work is already under way to tackle violence and accusing the Conservatives of “playing politics”.

The Conservatives' motion for debate, which calls for a public safety emergency to be declared, is set to be discussed at a full council meeting on Tuesday (December 2).

“When residents are afraid to walk home or enjoy our high streets, it damages the very heart of our city,” Councillor Robert Alden, leader of the opposition, said.

“A city that feels unsafe cannot thrive,” Conservative councillor Ewan Mackey added.

The motion says the council should introduce a number of measures, including:

• Calling on West Midlands Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner to conduct an “urgent review” of resources permanently allocated to town centres/high streets and hotspots, and ramp up dedicated patrols.

• The reallocation of existing council emergency resources, where possible, to support crime-prevention measures, including “switching back on/replacing streetlights previously dimmed”.

But Birmingham Labour is expected to amend the motion to reflect the work already being undertaken to tackle violent crime in the city.

Councillor Jamie Tennant, the cabinet member for community safety, acknowledged that recent violent attacks had “shocked our city” and stressed that tackling the issue has been a “top priority”.

“We know the horrific impact that violent and sexual offences have on victims and their loved ones, and the wider community,” he said.

“We continue to work with the police and our partners to tackle the scourge of knife crime and combat violence against women and girls.

“As a council we must work to make our city safe whilst countering false narratives that undermine public confidence.”

He continued that from Monday (December 1), the council will have doubled the number of Community Safety Officers working across the city.

“The council is already working with police to develop an action plan to make our city centre safer,” Coun Tennant said.

“The Conservative Group will have the chance to play a constructive role in its development.”

The Labour councillor went on to criticise the opposition party, arguing that the West Midlands had lost hundreds of experienced police officers under successive Conservative governments.

“Labour is already beginning to put that right through increasing funding and rolling out more Designated Neighbourhood Officers,” he said.

“Tackling violence is and has always been a top priority for the council and our partners, and the Conservative group should work with us rather than playing politics.

“Whilst the rate of violent crime is falling, there will be no let-up in our hard work to make our city safer for everyone.”

Council leader John Cotton previously said the authority was committed to tackling knife crime through “coordinated prevention, education, and enforcement efforts".

The council also said that it regularly “inspects, maintains and rectifies faults” on its street lights across the city.

“It has also taken a number of measures to reduce energy usage and carbon emissions arising from street lighting through various initiatives, including an £8m programme of replacing ageing lighting with modern LED types."

It adds that it has replaced 1,000 end-of-life lighting columns and lighting units with new assets and is focusing on monitoring and maintaining lighting at appropriate levels for the city.

‘Life-changing impact’

Following recent incidents in the city centre, West Midlands Police (WMP) said this month that it would increase patrols in central Birmingham.

“Our patrols are supported by resources from across West Midlands Police, as well as partners including Birmingham City Council and safety officers from the Central BID,” the force said.

“Project Servator deployments also take place regularly around the city centre to keep you safe, by providing a reassuring presence for the public and disrupting a range of criminality.

“Highly-visible specialist uniformed officers are on-hand to speak to anyone with concerns, and deployments also include plain clothes officers who are trained to spot the signs someone may be planning or preparing to commit a crime.”

Earlier this week WMP said extra officers would be on the streets as it continues work to reduce knife crime and serious youth violence around the region.

It has expanded its Project Guardian Taskforce, which now has 50 officers dedicated to it – including two teams in Birmingham.

“The work of the taskforce is having an impact,” the police force said. “The teams recover hundreds of weapons and make hundreds of arrests every year.

“Recent crime figures revealed knife crime has reduced by 16 per cent and serious youth violence has fallen by more than 13 per cent in the region.

“At WMP, we’re involved in enforcement and education to deter young people from carrying weapons as we know the life-changing impact they can have.

“We work with partners through the Violence Reduction Partnership to divert young people away from crime.”