Knife crime in and around Birmingham a 'serious concern', re-elected PCC says

Labour’s Simon Foster has said knife crime in the region is a “serious concern” of his as he starts his second term as police and crime commissioner. Mr Foster, who practised as a legal aid solicitor for 35 years, first took on the role three years ago and was re-elected after seeing off competition from the Conservative Party’s Tom Byrne.

In short, the police and crime commissioner (PCC) acts as a voice for residents and holds the police force to account, ensuring police are answerable to the communities they serve. In the build-up to election day, Mr Byrne, a former police officer, argued that the people of the West Midlands had been let down by a succession of Labour PCCs since 2012 and pointed to knife crime rates in particular.

Following the declaration on Saturday, May 4, Mr Foster was asked what would change in his second term when it came to the pressing issue of knife crime in the region. “Knife crime and violent crime is a matter of serious public concern and a matter of serious concern to me as well,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

READ MORE: Win for Labour as Simon Foster re-elected as PCC

“I’ve always made it clear one of my top priorities is preventing, tackling and reducing knife crime, protecting people and saving lives. Yes, we need robust policing out in the streets and in particular, additional policing in those violent crime hotspots.

“We need that in order to deal with those people who are intent on causing harm to others". He continued: “But I’m also investing in prevention and rehabilitation because we need to address the underlying causes of knife crime.

“So I’m investing through my Violence Reduction Partnership, and through my office at the PCC, a whole raft of different projects to do exactly that". Mr Foster has previously said that many of the region’s young people are impacted by violent crime as a consequence of factors including inequality, poverty, abuse, neglect, lack of opportunity, exploitation and low education attainment.

The Violence Reduction Partnership, established in 2019 and funded by the Home Office, has tackled the issue through a variety of ways including workshops in schools; placing youth workers in Accident and Emergency units; providing funding to faith groups and more. Mr Foster said earlier this year he also would continue to rebuild community policing if re-elected for a second term, deploying an additional 650 police officers and PCSOs.

He added that he would combat violence against women and girls and domestic abuse through targeted action to ensure safety and support. “I’ll prioritise victim support services and deliver justice for victims, making sure offenders face the consequences of their crimes,” he said.

“I’ll invest in crime prevention because preventing crime is better than dealing with its consequences.”

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