Police in Birmingham to stop and search without reasonable grounds after stabbings
Three teenagers have been stabbed in Birmingham in the last two weeks.
Wednesday 27 February 2019 17:30, UK
West Midlands Police have implemented Section 60 powers in Birmingham, meaning police officers will be able to stop and search anyone "without reasonable grounds" until 3am tomorrow.
The new powers come after three fatal stabbings in Birmingham over the last fortnight.
In an interview with Sky News' Kay Burley, West Midlands Police Constable Dave Thompson said people in the city "want to see some action quickly" and that long term steps are being taken to tackle the issue.
He added: "What we are doing is extending the use of our section 60 powers...and we are going to increase substantially the amount of searching we do without cause."
Chief constable Thompson has implemented the measures to "change the culture around weapon carrying here".
The chief constable also told Sky News that this issue is largely to do with men under the age of 25 and that these new powers will target particular times and places in the city, in an effort to curb knife crime.
Summing up the mood of the city, he went on to say "what has happened across this city in the last week has shocked everybody".
Yesterday, 17-year-old Hazrat Umar became the latest victim of knife crime in Birmingham.
Last week, Abdullah Muhammad died from knife wounds in the Small Heath area of the city, and a week before that, Sidali Mohammed died in hospital after being stabbed near Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid has said he is "very concerned" about the rise in knife crime in the West Midlands.
At least seven murder investigations have been launched by West Midlands Police so far in 2019.