West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, said: “I am committed to constant and unremitting action to prevent, tackle and reduce violence and knife crime, protect people and save lives.”
“So-called ‘zombie’ knives, machetes and swords have no place in the West Midlands. We must do all we can to prevent, tackle and reduce the availability of these dangerous weapons, whether online or otherwise.
“It is the first duty of government to keep its people safe. The government has been in serious breach of that duty, as a consequence of its failure to prevent, tackle and reduce the availability of these dangerous weapons. I welcome measures that will have the effect of preventing the availability of these dangerous weapons, whether online or otherwise.
“However, I am concerned that the government is failing to be tough enough, in cracking down on the ruthless people who are responsible for the manufacture, importation, sale and supply of these dangerous weapons. It does not appear to me, that an increase in the maximum penalty from 6 months to 2 years, is a proper reflection of the seriousness of this criminality.
“The reckless cuts this government imposed on policing, including the loss of 2,221 police officers – that was 25% of our police officers in the West Midlands – has contributed to a rise in violence and knife crime. If the government is genuinely intent on preventing, tackling and reducing violence, including knife crime, then it should return our 1,000 missing police officers and provide fair funding for West Midlands Police, so as to ensure that our under-funded and overworked police officers and staff have the resources they need.
“This must be part of a wider strategy to prevent, tackle and reduce violence and knife crime in the West Midlands. In addition to robust policing, my Violence Reduction Partnership, established in 2019, is at the forefront of this work. It is absolutely essential that we invest in prevention, early intervention, diversion and the underlying causes of violence and knife crime. We also need investment in essential preventative public services, including youth services – and in the wider criminal justice system, so that perpetrators are held to account and victims are able to access the help and support that they need.”
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