Four new weapon surrender bins have been installed across the West Midlands this month by Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster as he continues his crackdown on knife crime.
The weapon surrender bins have been put in place this week in Coventry, Solihull, Tipton and Wolverhampton in a move to “prevent, tackle and reduce violence, protect people and save lives”.
In total, the number of weapon bins installed thanks to the PCC across the region, has now reached 30.
Latest figures show as many as 659 weapons – including knives, guns and machetes – were deposited in the surrender bins between April and June last year. That’s 55 dangerous weapons taken off our streets each and every week, on average, thanks to the PCC-backed initiative.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster said: “The four new weapon surrender bins being installed once again shows my commitment to prevent, tackle and reduce knife and gun crime in the West Midlands.
“In addition to robust policing to deal with people who are intent on causing harm to others, we also need to focus on prevention, early intervention, diversion and addressing the underlying causes of violence and knife crime. My Violence Reduction Partnership, set up in 2019, is at the forefront of this work.
“I am committed to constant and unremitting action to prevent, tackle and reduce violence, protect people and save lives.”
The PCC added: “The bins are providing people with a legal and safe way to dispose of knives, which they shouldn’t be carrying. Every knife placed in a surrender bin is potentially a life saved.”
The latest bin installations follow three recently installed in Erdington (New Testament Church of God, B23 5PN), Small Heath (Ghamkol Sharif Mosque, B10 0DX) and Smethwick (Windmill Shopping Centre, B66 3PR).
The new locations for the weapon surrender bins are as follows:
- Coventry (January 24): Coventry Central Police Station, Little Park Street, Coventry CV1 2JX
- Wolverhampton (January 25): Phoenix Park, Dudley Road, Wolverhampton WV2 3JU
- Solihull (January 23) Solihull Railway Station, Solihull B91 1LE
- Sandwell (January 26): Tipton Sports Academy, Alexandra Road, Tipton DY4 8TA
