West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner commits to violent crime prevention
Simon Foster has been speaking to us as an amnesty allowing people to surrender weapons continues
Last updated 19th Sep 2024
The West Midlands' Police and Crime Commissioner has told us work to prevent violent crime will continue beyond a current amnesty.
Simon Foster attended the emptying of a weapon surrender bin in Aston Lane in Birmingham today (Thursday 19th September).
The region has recorded the highest knife crime rate in the UK this year.
To tackle this statistic, West Midlands Police aim to expose the deadly impact of knife crime through the installation of knife bins.
31 knife bins are currently available across the region and they are emptied every three months.
Last time the bins were emptied, more than 1000 knives, guns and other weapons were successfully collected and destroyed from the surrender bins.
This means that more than 120 weapons are retrieved each week off the street in the West Midlands.
PCC Simon Foster said: 'every knife, blade or weapon placed in a surrender bin has potentially saved a life.'
PCC Foster continued to say that work to prevent knife crime on the streets will extend beyond the amnesty today.
PCC Foster said: 'I am absolutely committed to continuing to invest in weapon surrender bins in the West Midlands.
'I am holding West Midlands Police into account to make sure they are providing robust enforcement in order to ensure those who are intent on causing harm to others face the consequences of their crimes.'
PCC Foster also responded to the recent Knife Crime Coalition at held by the Prime Minister at Downing Street, last Monday.
The Prime Minister was joined by knife crime campaigners such as the Kanda family from Wolverhampton who lost their 16 year old son, and brother, to a knife attack outside their home last year.
PCC Foster said: 'I welcome the knife crime coalition.
'It's important to understand that in the West Midlands we are engaged in a significant amount of work already which is designed to save lives, protect young and vulnerable people and prevent, tackle and reduce knife crime.'