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The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, has joined a major new national government taskforce, aimed at reducing knife related robbery.
PCC Foster headed to London this week to meet with the Home Secretary and Minister for Policing for the first taskforce meeting, to discuss the action that needs to be taken to prevent, tackle and reduce knife enabled robbery. PCC Foster was joined at the meeting by West Midlands Police Chief Constable, Craig Guildford.
The taskforce is made up of the Home Secretary, the Minister for Policing, Police and Crime Commissioners and Mayors from across the seven force areas with the highest rate of knife enabled robberies. Chief Constables and other officials who are trying to reduce serious violence, knife crime and robbery will also take part.
The new group will meet monthly for the next six months, to assess what action can be taken in each area.
The Commissioner chairs the board which oversees the West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP). The VRP has a key focus on preventing youth violence and knife crime. They do this by way of a wide range of projects including, education, youth workers and bespoke tailored support for young people in places like schools, hospitals and police custody centres.
PCC Foster, said: “Recent data shows there has been a 13% reduction in serious youth violence across the West Midlands.
“This means the work of the Violence Reduction Partnership, West Midlands Police and our other partners is starting to have a positive impact and is bringing violence down.
“Whilst this is welcome, we are not complacent and never will be.
“I am keen to work with my counterparts across the country and with central government to see how we can bring efforts and resources together, to reduce knife enabled robberies and crime, and keep our communities safe.”
The taskforce forms part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission to halve knife crime in a decade.
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