West Midlands Police (WMP) have seized 45 weapons at Birmingham schools or locations where a school was the nearest identifiable landmark between January 2022 and June 2026, according to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. The haul includes kitchen knives, flick knives, zombie knives, a machete, a hammer, and imitation firearms, with 2025 recording the highest annual figure of 13 seizures.
Year-by-Year Breakdown of Weapon Seizures
The FOI data, analysed by BirminghamLive, shows that reports of weapon seizures at schools fluctuated over the period. In 2022 and 2023, eight reports were recorded each year. In 2024, the number dropped to seven, before rising to 13 in 2025. As of the end of June 2026, nine reports have already been made, suggesting the trend may continue upward.
Detailed records for 2022 include one ball bearing gun, one combat knife, one craft knife, two kitchen knives, and three unspecified knives. In 2023, WMP seized one ball bearing gun, one flick knife, three kitchen knives, two lock knives, and one hammer. The 2024 figures show one combat knife, one dagger, one unspecified knife, one lock knife, one sword, and two kitchen knives.
2025: Highest Number of Seizures
2025 saw the most weapons confiscated, with one imitation handgun, one other imitation firearm, three flick knives, four kitchen knives, two unspecified knives, and two zombie knives. Up to June 2026, seizures included one ball bearing gun, two kitchen knives, two lock knives, one machete, one zombie knife, one razor blade, and one pair of scissors.
It is important to note that a single report may involve multiple weapons, and a location marked as a school does not always mean the offence occurred inside the school building—it may simply be the nearest identifiable landmark for police recording purposes.
Police Response and Prevention Efforts
A WMP spokesperson said: “We know how destructive and cruel knife crime is and the impact it can have on many lives - from victims, offenders to families. It can ruin lives forever and we carry out regular enforcement to identify and prosecute those who carry and use weapons.”
The spokesperson added: “We work with partners - as part of the West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership - to prevent offences happening in the first place. Reducing serious youth violence is a priority for us with programmes and activities to deter and divert young people from criminal and anti-social behaviour.”
Schools Intervention and Community Support
WMP has dedicated schools intervention officers embedded in neighbourhood policing teams, who are present in schools daily, providing inputs, collaborating with teachers, and offering additional support. Early help officers are linked to family hubs, and young persons officers work with partners across communities.
The force also runs Project Guardian, which provides additional capabilities to respond to key areas and prevent violence, with regular unannounced patrols to disrupt and deter crime. Services are commissioned across voluntary, charity, and community organisations, including lived experience mentoring in schools and colleges.
In total, there have been 38 reports of possession of an offensive weapon at schools or further educational premises over the five-year period, highlighting the ongoing challenge of keeping educational environments safe.
