Handsworth, Lozells and Aston form a rough triangle that consistently records the highest violent crime rates in Birmingham, with around 2,400 violent and sexual offences logged in each policing area in the 12 months to June. This figure is far higher than any other part of the city, according to police data reported by Birmingham Live.
Gang territories and postcode wars
The area has been the scene of bloody gang wars, with victims killed in shootings and stabbings while residents kept their heads down and tried to live as quiet a life as possible. The triangle stretches from Handsworth over towards Villa Park, encompassing Handsworth Park down to Lozells.
In August 2026, police in Lozells attended the latest stabbing incident. Two men were stabbed earlier in August, sparking an attempted murder probe. Just weeks before, in July, Yassin Alama, aged 19, was stabbed to death by a zombie knife on Hutton Road, Handsworth, amid an ongoing postcode war. The knife fight erupted from a social media feud between their respective gangs.
Legacy of Burger Bar Boys and Johnson Crew
A police map shown to a jury during the murder trial illustrated how modern gangs have inherited the territories once claimed by the infamous Burger Bar Boys and Johnson Crew, amid power struggles and turf wars which sometimes result in blood being spilled. Numerous other bloody attacks linked to gangs and drugs have occurred in this part of the city.
Ordinary citizens are sometimes also targets, rather than just those involved in gangs and criminality for whom brutality can be an occupational hazard. Between July 28 and August 8, there were four reports of gold jewellery being taken from women in Lozells and Handsworth Wood. Victims were approached by people in a car, then distracted, before gold jewellery was taken from them.
Armed police raids and unsolved murder
On August 20, armed police seized a homemade 'slam gun' and ammunition during a raid on a property in Freer Road, Handsworth. Back in September 2024, Ekrimh Mena'a, aged 39, was stabbed to death near the junction of Hunters Road and Villa Road, Lozells. One of the key suspects for the murder, Dahir Ali, remains on the run two years on.
Residents have previously spoken about their discomfort, and sometimes fear, about living in the area, with the blue lights and sirens of emergency services never far away. West Midlands Police continue to investigate these incidents, and have previously urged the public to call 999 immediately if they have information about suspects.
