Charity condemns police approach to knife violence despite ‘significant fall’ in crime
Knife crime figures in the West Midlands are beginning to fall, according to the Office for National Statistics. Yet for many young people in Coventry, the fear of walking home late at night remains unaltered.
During an interview with CovFeed, top Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster stated that in the case of knife-enabled robberies, the force has seen “a significant fall in knife crime”, including reductions in youth violence.
However, charity ‘Birmingham says NO’ believes that whilst “The official figures may show reductions, and that’s positive, but those numbers don’t always reflect lived experience. The fear and trauma in communities is still very real.”
Image Source: West Midlands Police
In February 2020, Babacar Diagne, aged 15, was stabbed roughly 20 times in the Wood End area of Coventry. (West Midlands Police)
Official figures point to progress, but the critics argue that crime statistics fail at their attempts to connect with the public and institutional measurements and community experience seem to constantly come to an impasse and are completely misaligned with one another.
WHAT IS OPERATION GUARDIAN?
From his interview, Simon Foster emphasised Operation Guardian and its dedication to focusing on knife-enabled robbery. The taskforce uses what the PCC described as a “multi-faceted’ approach, combining visible policing, especially at night and among young people, with targeted intelligence, offender management and community engagement. Foster noted that these efforts are a contributor to the 31 per cent reduction in knife-enabled robberies across the West Midlands.
However, Rachel from Birmingham Says No stated that no matter the reductions, if “many feel that everyone else is armed…carrying a knife becomes a form of protection” and therefore, even with these statistical decreases, you will continue to need charities such as hers to raise awareness to change mindsets that some grow up with nowadays.
Image Source: West Midlands Police
Operation Guardian was originally launched as a specialist taskforce to tackle knife crime and serious youth violence, especially under 25s and was initially funded via the Home Office’s hotspot programme and works alongside the regional Violence Reduction Programme.
The team now consists of around 50 officers across 5 units covering the West Midlands, including Coventry. It’s up-to-date approach even includes the use of drones for monitoring and evidence collection.
“If you’ve lost someone or witnessed violence, a percentage drop in figures doesn’t make the walk home feel safer.” Rachel Warren
Image Source: Birmingham Says No
In Coventry, the taskforce can be commended for its regular patrols of areas such as the city centre, Hillfields, and Fargo Village. They have made numerous arrests for weapons and drug offences, and weapons seizures.
However, despite its successes, Operation Guardian is not without its potential drawbacks. These regular high-vis patrols and frequent stop and searches can often lead to growing tensions in the area, and often, for gang activity to move to newer hotspots with less policing.
And, whilst the police and crime commissioner cannot be held accountable for losing this game of knife crime whack-a-mole, the steps taken are a current solution to a growing issue.
Another issue with the task force is its heavy reliance on current funding structures, and the implication of new budget cuts could see the force limit the number of officers used on these teams, therefore removing the element of high-visibility patrols.
[Unnamed], 19 years of age, received multiple stab wounds after being attacked by a gang of eight men in Broadgate near Starbucks on the 6th of October 2023. (ITVX)
Image Source: West Midlands Police
Rachel from Birmingham says No highlighted that one major factor seems to be emotional aftershock from these events, the knock-on effect, fear-driven carrying of knives, altered routines and heightened vigilance. Even though the statistics can show one thing, the lived experience of those involved in this will always echo more truthfully. The true progress of a safer society would not just incorporate better policing and enforcement but sustained investment in the infrastructure of education, emotional support and opportunities that provide hope for a younger generation. Until fear is addressed as much as crime, the numbers alone don’t quite cut it.
“You matter more than you realise. The choices you make today shape not just your life, but the lives of the people you care about. Carrying a knife doesn’t protect you — it puts you at greater risk. There are people who will back you, help you, and walk with you toward something better. You deserve to be safe, and you deserve a future.”
- Rachel Warren