West Midlands Police Report 25% Knife Crime Drop as Ninja Sword Ban Begins

Knife crime in the West Midlands has fallen by more than 25%, a reduction attributed to focused efforts by police to arrest offenders and educate young people on the dangers of carrying weapons. Crimes involving under-25s where a knife was used to threaten or harm have dropped 15% since April, building on an 18% reduction over the previous year. The government established a dedicated police taskforce across seven forces last October to tackle knife robberies, with the West Midlands achieving the largest decrease among them. The Project Guardian Taskforce, featuring high-visibility and plainclothes officers trained to spot suspicious behavior, has been instrumental in patrolling hotspot areas identified through crime intelligence. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper praised the police efforts during a visit to Birmingham city center, emphasizing the importance of maintaining progress to protect families and communities. Despite the positive results, Chief Constable Craig Guildford highlighted that more work is needed from both policing and society to ensure ongoing safety improvements.