Force says reducing knife crime is a priority

West Midlands Police dealt with 5,300 knife crime offences in 2023

West Midlands Police (WMP) has said tackling knife crime is an "absolute priority" after two 12-year-old boys were found guilty of murdering Shawn Seesahai.

The 19-year-old died after he was stabbed through the heart with a machete last year in East Park, Wolverhampton.

According to figures released in April, the force's area has the highest rate of knife crime offences in England and Wales.

Insp Colin Gallier said that while the statistics were concerning, the force was investing more money into projects to tackle the violence.

Teams were being deployed to hotspot areas to suppress existing youth violence and identify youths that carry knives, he said.

"We experience our own challenges with urban street gangs, organised crime groups, the same across the rest of the country," Insp Gallier added.

WMP dealt with more than 5,300 knife crime offences in 2023, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

The force said it had been working hard to improve after being placed into special measures in November.

"We'll use a variety of policing tactics and specialist resource but also some fairly obvious tactics which are quite robust and impactive," Insp Gallier said.