Knife bin for surrendering weapons coming ‘as soon as possible’ to Solihull

An initiative designed to curb knife crime in the region will be rolled out to Solihull “as soon as possible”.

Yesterday (Monday 21st May), West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson unveiled the latest “weapon surrender bin” in Oldbury.

There are now 15 of the containers in-situ around the region, with facilities having already been installed in four of the seven metropolitan boroughs which make up the region (Birmingham, Dudley, Wolverhampton and Sandwell).

As yet Solihull does not have its own bin and while a date for installation has yet to be confirmed, Mr Jamieson has this week given assurances that discussions are underway.

“I am committed to getting weapon surrender bins installed in every borough of the West Midlands,” he said.

“I am working with local groups to get a bin installed as soon as possible in Solihull.”

The bins, designed as somewhere that individuals can safely dispose of weapons, have tended to be installed at locations including churches and supermarkets.

Solihull has traditionally seen fewer violent crimes than other parts of the region, although figures included in a recent council report confirmed that the number of cases of public place violence had risen by almost 15 per cent (232 offences) in 2017/18.

There was considerable public concern following the fatal stabbing of 20-year-old Callum Lees, in Hopwas Grove, Kingshurst last August.

And, in a separate incident, Georgina Henshaw, of Alder Drive, Chelmsley Wood, was jailed for at least 16 years after being convicted of stabbing restaurant chef Philip Rolph to death last July.

Read more: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/knife-bin-surrendering-weapons-coming-14691088