Gang Activity in Birmingham out of Control

Gun crime in the West midlands are more than twice the national average. While most of the media attention is fixated on our crime-ridden capital, the citizens of Birmingham are left to fend for themselves.

West Midlands Police disclosed shocking figures just weeks after the force doubled the strength of its Birmingham Organised Crime Unit.

Gangs are now 'driven by drug dealing not postcode wars' claim police - after it emerged 400 people are now linked to organised crime in our city.

Officers have revealed there are more than 40 Organised Crime Gangs (OCGs) operating in Birmingham - comprising around 400 members.

And there are even more classified as Urban Street Gangs.

Twenty officers have been drafted in to the specialist taskforce in a move, police say, that will disrupt gang activity and help them strike swiftly to make arrests.

The team will also work with probation, youth workers and communities to divert vulnerable young people away from exploitation by organised criminals.

Extra police officers have been drafted in to help tackle city gangs - after it was revealed an astonishing 400 people are linked to organised crime across our region.

The unit will operate seven days a week, from dawn until late at night, and can call on other specialist teams in the force.

Officers will also work with partner agencies, including youth offending teams, children's services and charities, in a bid to divert vulnerable teens away from gang activity.

Superintendent Tom Joyce heads up the Birmingham Organised Crime Unit, said: "Expanding our unit is a significant step and shows our determination to grip those who cause the biggest risk of serious harm. 

"Our aim is to work with the city’s communities − to act on information they provide − so we can together make Birmingham a safer place.

"Organised crime goes beyond those linked to ‘turf wars’ and knife or gun crime. We’ll also target those who offend in groups to exploit children and vulnerable people such as County Lines drug gangs and slavery traffickers.

"Our message is clear: alongside our partners we will use all the tools and tactics at our disposal to safeguard our young people from exploitation and respond robustly against anyone seeking to groom children into criminality."

In the first two weeks, officers from the unit have made 'numerous' arrests - for offences including drug dealing, wounding and money laundering.

Supt Joyce added: "Gang affiliation is far more fluid in its nature than it was ten or 15 years ago.

"Much of what we see now is driven by drug dealing rather than simple territorial conflicts inspired by the post codes gangs operate in. 

"To successfully tackle gang culture requires a partnership approach, including the public sector, charities and the community − it cannot be tackled by police alone.

Another Labour-controlled city, another crime-infested city. Until patriots achieve power in England, the decline into the abyss will continue.