Operation Guardian Taskforce is made up of teams of officers dedicated to reducing serious youth violence and knife enabled robberies.
The impact of the taskforce was recently recognised by the Policing Minister who highlighted the role of Project Guardian, and the work of West Midlands Police in reducing knife-related crime.
There are now 50 officers dedicated to the taskforce and taking weapons off the streets.
There are two dedicated teams for the Black Country – one covering Dudley and Sandwell and one for Walsall and Wolverhampton. This combines with the existing two teams in Birmingham and other for Coventry and Solihull.
At WMP we’re involved in enforcement and education to deter young people from carrying weapons as we know the life-changing impact they can have. We work with partners through the Violence Reduction Partnership to divert young people away from crime. We also have officers who are in schools daily, offering support to deter youngsters from violent or criminal behaviour
West Midlands Police
They state it is a real partnership approach and not something which policing can do alone. Everyone including teachers, parents and carers all have a part to play. So they are encouraging individuals to read life or knife.
According to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the West Midlands Police area had the highest rate of knife crime offences in England and Wales last year. However, West Midlands Police say that 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.