Above all, perhaps, there was the impact of government austerity measures that resulted in the West Midlands experiencing some the steepest cuts in funding for youth work. It said there were no examples of genuine “power-sharing” between communities and the statutory, private and voluntary sectors in the West Midlands. West Midlands police has lost a quarter of its officers (about 2,000) in recent years. Photograph: Linda Nylind for the GuardianDet Supt Ian Parnell is the West Midlands police’s lead officer on knife crime. The said the West Midlands was in a good position on this, there was still a “battle” about the tactic’s future.

Source: The Guardian November 29, 2018 06:56 UTC