West Midlands Police are urging visitors that Birmingham city centre remains safe to visit despite a recent spate of stabbings that have sparked concern among local communities.
The reassurance comes after several violent incidents in the heart of the city, including the tragic unprovoked murder of Katie Fox and three separate stabbings near the Bullring shopping centre within the past month.
Police patrols in action
Birmingham Live joined officers on a city centre patrol starting from Digbeth station, where police run a 24/7 operation with various teams working alongside each other. Both uniformed and plain-clothes officers are conducting regular patrols, specifically looking for suspicious activities and potential knife carriers.
In just 20 minutes during one patrol, the Operation Guardian team - a specialist taskforce targeting gangs and violence - stopped and searched three groups of young people aged between 16-25. Fortunately, no knives were discovered during these interventions.
Addressing public concerns
Detective Chief Inspector John Askew, lead for Operation Fearless, described Katie Fox's murder as "an isolated and very tragic incident" but stressed that such events are extremely rare in the city centre. "The police were there within minutes of it happening," he confirmed.
Police have identified 20-30 areas across the force where problem-solving plans are implemented, with two key locations being Birmingham city centre and Broad Street. Officers are collaborating with the Business Improvement District and other partners to analyse crime data and address issues ranging from anti-social behaviour to knife crime.
Hotspot areas and prevention
Key areas of police focus include the 'McDonalds Ramp', New Street, and locations near the Bull statue - all places with high footfall where young people frequently gather. Notably, Smallbrook Queensway, where Katie Fox was killed, isn't classified as one of their high-crime focus points.
Pete Ash, Operations Manager at the Business Improvement District, addressed the concentration of incidents around the Bullring: "Sometimes when you look at crime recorded, people say it's the Bull because it's such a well known landmark. There have been stabbings around the High Street - they appear to be chance encounters as around the Bullring is an area where young people will frequent."
Ash emphasised the security measures in place, noting: "We have 300 radios to link with businesses. I think Birmingham is safe enough to visit, there are always going to be problems here, we don't pretend there isn't, but we are all out in force."
Police are also working with partners to identify poorly-lit areas where people feel unsafe and are implementing additional safety measures this week.
Educational approach to knife crime
Officers highlighted the ongoing work in schools to educate young people about the grave dangers of carrying knives. Detective Constable Inspector Mandy Thompson explained their proactive approach: "One simple thing we do is, if we get a group of youths outside McDonalds, we can get their names and then we can check with schools, Universities and we can do relevant engagement with those schools."
DCI Askew stressed that the anti-knife message needs to come from multiple sources: "But that message can't just come from police, it needs to come from the community, from parents, guardians, it could be a football coach, a scout leader. Everyone should be getting the message out about the dangers of carrying a knife."
Despite the recent incidents, authorities maintain that Birmingham city centre "is not any less safe than it would usually be" and encourage visitors to approach police or BID officers with any concerns.
