00:00Knife crime remains one of the clearest public safety concerns for people across the West Midlands.
00:07New figures presented to the Police and Crime Commissioners, the Countability Board,
00:12show reported offences have fallen by a quarter over the latest two-year period locally.
00:17The number of incidents went from 5,268 to 3,946 between March last year and March this year.
00:28Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster called the fall a significant achievement,
00:34while saying one offence remains too many.
00:37The same meeting heard that weapons recovered through stop and search had risen by more than 16%, reaching 1,035.
00:45Board members were also told serious youth violence continued to decline, with offences down by almost 15% over the
00:53year.
00:54Officials linked that fall to partnership work aimed at steering young people away from violence, exploitation and criminality.
01:02Mr Foster said every violent offence prevented, every knife removed from the streets and every young person diverted from crime
01:09helped make communities safer.
01:12He said investment, proactive policing and local partnership work were making a positive difference.
01:19But he also pledged continued work with police, councils, schools, the Violence Reduction Partnership and Communities to drive violence down
01:28further.
01:28While James Foster
01:28I
01:29He
01:29He
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