Briefing for the Police and Crime Commissioner - Knife Crime

Police and Crime Panel – 21 November 2016

1. Extract from Police and Crime Plan 2016-2020: I want to see gang-related offences including gun and knife crime reduce. To support the work of the Commission on Gangs and Violence I will continue to support the introduction and maintenance of weapon surrender bins across the West Midlands, with the aim of increasing the number of bins and ensuring there is at least one bin in each borough. I will continue to work with West Midlands Police, partners and the community to promote the use of weapon surrender bins. I will also assess the location of the bins to ensure they remain in the best possible place to ensure as many weapons as possible are removed from our streets.

2. SPCB question and answer on Knife crime, 1 November 2016 To what extent do recently published ONS knife crime statistics suggest an upward trend in

knife crime in the West Midlands and,

a) what causes does the Chief Constable regard as laying behind the increase?

b) What action does the Chief Constable propose in response?

The Chief Constable responded:

a) ONS knife crime statistics cover a wide range of offences – not exclusively stabbings leading to deaths. Nationally between July 2014 – 2015 statistics showed an increase of 9%. The West Midlands’ increase was 25%, although not the highest in the country. There has been a steady increase of 2 years. This is a very serious complicated situation and the response needs to be re-thought. It is not only gang-based crime. Knife crime is on the street but also within domestic violence.

b) It is recognised that the main group of offenders are males aged 15-24 years. It is not a geographical problem. WMP are working with Aston University to try to ascertain why more people are carrying weapons. It may be too late to work with 15-24 years’ group as they have often grown up within an environment where weapons are the norm. There is therefore a need to do preventative work with younger groups. There has been action already undertaken – for example Operation Sceptre and zombie knives. The Force is also working with Trading Standards and Public Health on violence prevention. There is no quick fix, but rather a need to re-double efforts generally. The best protection for a victim is not to carry a knife in the first place.

The Chief Constable added that there is an issue around understanding on the part of perpetrators. One of the most common stabbings is to the leg which often proves to be fatal because of the presence of main arteries. It is important that there is an increased understanding of the consequences of actions taken.

3. Data

Knife crime hotspots across the West Midlands – Birmingham West and Central/East are the

hotspots ad Coventry although all areas are affected except Birmingham South – we are

looking at a weapon bin strategy covering all 7 local authority areas.

Knife Crime with Injury Offences (offenders under 25) - Birmingham Hotspots

Knife Crime with Injury Offences (offenders under 25) - Coventry Hotspots

Knife & Offensive Weapon Possession Offences – Offender Ages

The largest offender age group is 15-19 years, followed by 20-14 and the largest offender

ethnicity is white European, followed by African Caribbean and then Asian.

Knife Crime with Injury - Age

Ethnicity of Offenders

4. Commission on Gangs and Violence Launched in March 2017 as a response to the rising violence in Birmingham. he issue of

gangs and violence is one that affects us all, it cuts across all communities and needs and

effective partnership effort in response, and to make a difference. The Commission on

Gangs and Violence was launched on the 16 March 2016. The Police and Crime

Commissioner David Jamieson, wanted us to develop a community-led response to the

violence going on in Birmingham. Specialist Providers, alongside statutory and voluntary

sector agencies are leading a consultation and engagement process that will ensure that we

listen to the concerns of the community and work with them to establish recommendations

that respond to the things that they have told us. They have been coordinating a series of

interventions by the community and public sector agencies and will offer detailed responses

to the actual spike in gun related violence and the community perceptions that runs

alongside.

There are a number that we know:

- A new generation of young people are being tempted by or drawn into gang related activities and participation and therefore gangs are a persistent threat

- The voices of young people are central in developing effective interventions

- Not all recent fire arms offences and violent acts are gang related

- Community members are concerned about the lack of a sustainable partnership strategy to address the key issues associated with gang related activities and violence.

- There has been a reduction in local voluntary and community activity

- There is a significant change in demographics in the area

- Members of the community are telling us that 'Something is different, things have changed'

- Members of the community have expressed concern about perceptions of confidence in the police

- Members of the community have expressed a need to have a genuine and sustainable strategy and action plans that is community owned and driven ‘from the bottom up’, where the PCC and other partners are held accountable for what is commissioned.

- Gang and youth violence has a devastating impact on the young people who get

caught up in it, as well as their families and communities. It is not an issue that any one agency or government department can tackle alone. It requires the police, teachers, social workers, housing officers, youth workers, employment advisers and many others working together, and sharing information in order to safeguard vulnerable young people and target the most violent.

- More young people are carrying knives and are willing to use them – young people

are taking them from kitchens making them more accessible

- We need to understand why young people carry knives – they say it is due to fear

and peer pressure.

- Young people don’t always realise that stabbing can be fatal.

The Gangs and Violence Commission is a partnership with the community to respond to the

concerns.

There are a number of strands to the work that will cover all areas of community life:

- Women and Families

- Elders/young people

- Prisoners/Offenders and Faith

- Young People

- Youth Interventions

- Young people and diversionary activities

Underpinning the consultation work is a research and ethical framework that is being led by

Rev Dr Carver Anderson. He is leading a research team that will gather evidence to allow us

to understand the issues, and subsequently address the issues that are being raised. The

key to this piece of work is that it is community-led from the outset, both through the process

and also development and implementation of the recommendations. This approach will put

local people at the heart of making changes to the area in which they live; community

involvement will be an on-going process throughout the lifetime of the project.

5. Operation Sceptre – during October 2016; national week of activity to tackle knife crime

Sat 15/10: Test Purchase Operations

Mon 17/10: Warrant in relation to Zombie Knives

Tues 18/10: Joint visits with Trading Standards

Weds 19/10: Test Purchase Operations

Thurs 20/10: Weapons Sweeps of Open Spaces

Fri 21/10: Joint visits with Trading Standards

Sat 22/10: Night Time Economy Knife Prevention Operation

All Week: Weapons Bin Empty – Figures to be released soon

6. Results from previous Weapons Bin empty

More than 100 live rifle rounds were found in a weapon surrender bin in Wolverhampton

Other finds across Birmingham and the Black Country included a stun gun, six blank-firing

pistols, hammers and a total of 132 knives.

The 102 military-calibre rifle rounds were left in the weapon surrender bin at the Tabernacle

Baptist Church, Dunstall Road, Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, along with nine kitchen

knives, two folding blades and one homemade knife.

In Birmingham, six blank-firing pistols were deposited in the Stratford Road Aldi bin, as were

30 domestic knives, one sheath knife and two machetes.

In the Lozells Road bin at the New Testament Church Of God were 16 kitchen blades, one

soft air revolver and a stun gun designed to look like a torch.

And in Heath Town, Wolverhampton, there were three hammers, five kitchen knives and a

folding blade.

Assistant West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Ashley Bertie, whose office

supports the 13 surrender bins across the Black Country and Birmingham, said: "These

potentially deadly weapons are now off the streets once and for all and have been

destroyed.

"These bins are only successful if the community supports them and I would like to thank

everyone who deposited a weapon for doing the right thing.

"Our streets are safer as a result of these bins. If anyone out there has a weapon - or knows

someone who does - I would urge them to get rid of it in a surrender bin as soon as

possible."

A full list of contents found in the bins is below:

Location of bin Contents

George Street, West Hockley,

Birmingham

Four pocket knives; four kitchen knives; one

broken cap gun (realistic)

New Testament Church Of God, 240-

244 Lozells Road, Birmingham

16 kitchen knives; one soft air revolver; one stun

gun torch

New Testament Church of God,

Goosemore Lane, Erdington

10 kitchen knives

Old Tesco site, Five Ways,

Birmingham

One large combat knife; eight kitchen knives

Tesco, Aston Lane, Birmingham One knife

Aldi, 273 Stratford Road, Sparkbrook 30 domestic knives; one sheath knife; two

machetes; six blank-firing self-loading pistols

New Testament Church of

God, Wednesfield Road, Heath Town

Five kitchen; one folding blade; three hammers

Tabernacle Baptist Church, Dunstall

Road, Whitmore Reans,

Wolverhampton

102 military-calibre rifle rounds including tracer

rounds; nine domestic knives; two folding blades;

one homemade knife

Cannon Street Memorial Baptist

Church, 330 Soho Road, Handsworth

19 knives

The Sports Hub Perry Barr, Holford

Drive, Perry Barr

11 knives; CS gas canister

Green Lane Masjid, 20 Green Lane,

Small Heath

Seven knives

All of the weapons have now been removed and disposed of.

7. MBE for PC Rob Pedley

PC Rob Pedley was formally made a Member of the British Empire by royal appointment at

Buckingham Palace last weekend when he was presented with his medal by Prince William.

The Police and Crime Commissioner funds the Precious Lives project which, since launching

in 2011, has now reached more than 100,000 teenagers across the region.

Alongside Marcia Shakespeare and Alison Cope − mums who have experienced the trauma

of lives lost to gun and knife crime − Rob tours the region’s schools on a campaign to

‘deglamourise’ gang culture and steer clear of crime.