Page 14 - WMPF Federation Aug-Sept 2018flip_Neat

nife crime has increased by nearly 20
per cent in the West Midlands – with Increase in
K2,850 offences in a 12-month period
involving a knife.
Latest figures from the Office of National
Statistics show that in the 12 months to the
end of March 2018 there was a 19 per cent
rise in knife offences. The Force recorded knife crime
1,591 robberies with knives, 1,124 assaults
which involved a knife and 50 threats to kill.
In the same time period, the data shows
that total recorded crime increased by 13 per
cent in the West Midlands Force area and
took the total number of offences to in England and Wales falling by 738 to there were 701 murders – that’s more than
233,393. 122,404, the lowest since 1996. the number of troops who have died in the
There was a 33 per cent rise in sexual Ché Donald, vice-chair of the Police entire Afghan conflict since 2001 (456.)
offences bringing the total to 6,463 offences, Federation of England and Wales, said: “Not “These new figures are proof, as if we
a 28 per cent increase in robberies (a total of only has knife crime gone through the roof, even needed it, that policing in the UK is on
7,462 offences) and an 18 per cent rise in but murders are also escalating. Last year the critical list.”
violent crime (a total of 57,712 offences).
There were just two categories where Officer numbers fall
the numbers came down - drug offences
dropped by 13 per cent and bike theft fell by The number of officers keeping the “Year on year we are losing officers.
11 per cent. people of the West Midlands safe fell by There are fewer and fewer officers to
Rich Cooke, chair of West Midlands Police 175 in a 12-month period. protect the public, at a time when the
Federation, said: “It is starting to feel like In the year to the end of March 2018, population is growing.
Groundhog Day. Every time the statistics are the number of officers reduced by -2.6 per “It is no coincidence that at the same
published they show crime has risen. We cent – leaving 6,581 serving with the time officer numbers are falling the crime
“
predicted it would and were told we were Force. rate is rocketing. We have been warning
scaremongering – but it has become a reality The figures were released by the the Government of this for ages - it begs
and the Government still doesn’t seem to Office of National Statistics and show the question why the Government can’t
want to listen. that officer numbers across England and see it, or maybe MPs just don’t care.”
“At the recent Police Federation Wales are continuing to dwindle, with National Federation vice-chair Ché
conference in Birmingham, Home Secretary just 122,404 warranted officers - a further Donald says: “Thanks to Government
Sajid Javid said he was listening to what we loss of 738 officers, or 0.6 per cent, on the funding cuts, we now have the lowest
were telling him. But while we welcomed his previous 12 months. number of police officers since 1996. The
words, we now need to see evidence of some In the West Midlands, 4,544 of the figures show we have lost more than
action too. The people we serve deserve officers are male and 2,037 are female. Of 21,300 officers since 2010 – that’s a drop
better, our officers deserve better and the these, 6,259 are available for duty and not of 15 per cent and the numbers keep going
Government has a duty to enable us to serve classed as being long-term absent. down every year.”
and protect.” Broken down further, there are 723 He added: “We have a Government
Nationally, the latest figures show total male sergeants and 25 female sergeants. which recently launched its Serious
recorded crime has risen by 13 per cent and There are a total of 5,189 serving at the Violence Strategy – yet failed to make one
knife crime rose by 16 per cent. There was: rank of constable, equating to 179 per single mention of the falling numbers of
l a 30 per cent increase in robberies 100,000 of the population the Force officers, which it was rightly criticised for.
l a 16 per cent rise in knife crime serves. You would think that every time we have
l a 12 per cent increase in murders, and Rich Cooke, chair of West Midlands the same conversations about rising crime,
l a 2 per cent rise in firearms offences. Police Federation, said: “These figures are particularly violent crime, it would be a
The figures were published at the same incredibly concerning as the reduction in wake-up call for the Government. But
time as new workforce figures from the officer numbers in our Force area is quite instead it just feels like we are
Home Office also revealed a further drop in considerable. sleepwalking into a nightmare.”
police officer numbers with the total number

14 federation August/September 2018 www.polfed.org/westmids