Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster has welcomed a 50 per cent drop in the number of shootings in the West Midlands.
The PCC said he was pleased that the number of shootings in the region had dropped significantly – but he expects West Midlands Police and the Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) to maximise firearms seizures and to continue the downward trend.
There were 109 confirmed firearms discharges in 2024, but that fell to 77 last year, and the fall from 2021 is even bigger. There were 151 firearms discharges that year meaning, the number of shootings has halved over four years.
Meanwhile, the number of guns taken off the streets has increased as well, to more than 160 last year.
Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster said: “I expect West Midlands Police and the Regional Organised Crime Unit to maximise illegal firearms seizures and reduce discharges and these results show the progress being made.
“This is the outcome of determined, intelligence-led policing and outstanding partnership working. Every gun taken off our streets means a safer West Midlands and every reduction in shootings means fewer people, families and communities living in fear.
“While this progress is welcome, even one firearms discharge is one too many. I will continue to hold the force to account to ensure this momentum is maintained and that people who carry and use guns are relentlessly and robustly pursued and brought to justice.”
The force’s Major Crime Unit’s dedicated reactive and proactive teams work relentlessly to investigate in the wake of shootings, with CCTV trawls, forensic work, mobile phone analysis and other intelligence gathering to build a clear picture of who is involved.
The MCU’s and Regional Organised Crime Unit for the West Midlands (ROCUM) specialist capabilities mean they can use a full range of tools and tactics to hunt down those involved in gun crime and bring them before the courts.
High profile successes this year include:
· Watch: Three guns seized from Audi as more armed criminals jailed | West Midlands Police
· Two men facing jail after man shot in Wolverhampton | West Midlands Police
· Man jailed for over three decades after shooting victim at point blank range | West Midlands Police
Supt Ryan Chambers, from the force’s MCU, said: “While it’s really positive that the number of firearms discharges has gone down, we know that even one is one too many.
“The devastation that gun crime causes is immense. Even in cases where no one has been injured, we know the fear that people living in the area experience in the aftermath of a shooting.
“We continue to work flat out in our pursuit of those involved in gun crime, alongside neighbourhood officers, intelligence analysts, and other specialist capabilities to ensure that there is no hiding place for people who think it’s acceptable to arm themselves with firearms.”
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