Police chiefs call on public to help tackle knife crime
West Mercia Police has called for public support to help reduce knife crime after stabbings across the region rose to a record high.
Crimes involving a blade or sharp instrument in the force area rose by 37 per cent to 733 for the year to March – the highest figure for the region since the start of official records in 2010.
It came as the overall crime rate for the period was stable, with 87,323 crimes recorded, including 34,518 violent crimes.
West Mercia Police Assistant Chief Constable, Rachel Jones, described the figures as "largely encouraging", pointing to reductions in key areas such as domestic burglaries and theft.
However, she said the force understood concerns over the rise in knife crime and other forms of violence, and urged the public to help stop young people becoming either victims or perpetrators.
ACC Jones said: "We encourage anyone who has any information about someone who carries a knife, or they suspect is involved in violence or drug crime, to get in touch. It could save a life."
The knife crime rate in West Mercia has also risen over the past year, from 42 per 100,000 population to 57, although it remains below the national average of 82 knife crimes per 100,000 people.
In the West Midlands Police area the rate is 118 per 100,000, while for Staffordshire Police it is 53 per 100,000.
Acc Jones said that although the region was "fortunate" in that it did not experience the same levels of knife crime as other parts of the country, the force was not "complacent" and was "acutely aware of these recent increases".
She said West Mercia Police was "undertaking an array of proactive work to reduce violent crime" – including working directly with young people and their families – and warned that knife crime was often linked to drug dealing and involved youngsters being exploited by criminals.
"More than 15,000 frontline professionals have been trained to spot the signs of exploitation and vulnerability, to help protect young people and vulnerable adults with the aim of preventing them either becoming a victim of violence directly or as a perpetrator," she added.
To contact the force visit westmercia.police.uk or call 101, or make an anonymous report via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
