Knife crime in the West Midlands has dropped by more than 1,000 offences over the past two years, according to new figures presented to the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner's (PCC) Accountability and Governance Board.
The data shows that knife crime offences have fallen by 25.1 per cent, from 5,268 to 3,946 in the year ending March 2026. PCC Simon Foster welcomed the decline but stressed that further efforts are required to address the issue.
During the meeting on May 26, it was also revealed that proactive policing activity has continued to increase, with the number of weapons recovered through stop and search rising significantly. In the year ending March 2026, West Midlands Police conducted 1,035 stop and searches that resulted in the recovery of a knife, representing a 16.4 per cent increase compared to the baseline year.
Serious Youth Violence Declines
The figures also indicate that serious youth violence continues to decrease across the West Midlands. Offences fell by 14.9 per cent in the year ending March 2026, reflecting the impact of ongoing partnership work aimed at preventing young people from becoming involved in violence and exploitation.
Mr Foster said: "These figures represent significant progress in our aim to prevent and tackle knife crime and serious youth violence. Every violent offence prevented, every knife removed from our streets and every young person diverted away from crime helps make our communities safer."
He added: "A 25.1 per cent reduction in knife crime is a significant achievement and demonstrates the impact of investment, partnership working and proactive policing that we have prioritised through my Police and Crime Plan. The increase in weapons recovered through stop and search shows that officers are continuing to take dangerous knives off our streets and prevent potential harm."
Continued Commitment
Mr Foster also noted the continued reduction in serious youth violence, stating: "Protecting young people from violence, exploitation and criminality is one of my top priorities, and these results show that our collective efforts are making a positive difference."
He concluded: "One knife crime offence is one too many. I will continue to work closely with West Midlands Police, our Violence Reduction Partnership, local authorities, schools, community organisations and partners to drive down violence even further and ensure that everyone feels safe and secure in their community."
