Extra officers to tackle youth knife crime in the Black Country
There are now two dedicated teams across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton
West Midlands Police are expanding officers on the streets to continue reducing the amount of knife crime and youth violence in the region.
Police now have five teams, rather than four, operating across the region as part of Project Guardian Taskforce.
The impact of the taskforce was recently recognised by the Policing Minister who highlighted the role of Project Guardian, and the work of WMP in reducing knife-related crime.
50 officers will now be dedicated to the taskforce. There are also two dedicated teams for the Black Country, one covering Dudley and Sandwell, and another covering Walsall and Wolverhampton.
There are existing teams in Birmingham and another for Coventry and Solihull.
Recent crime figures revealed knife crime has reduced by 16 per cent and serious youth violence has fallen by more than 13 per cent in the region.
West Midlands Police say they are committed to enforcing education to deter young people from carrying weapons.