Surge in violence across Wolverhampton focus for new inquiry

The violent crime scrutiny panel will be set up with the aim to tackle the increase in serious offences in the city, which has witnessed a series of stabbings over the past year.

The cross-party panel will attempt to understand the reasons behind the crime, particularly against young people.

Violent crime has increased by 13 per cent over in the past year and Wolverhampton has been the scene of several shocking attacks.

The murder rate in the West Midlands is at its highest for a decade.

Stakeholders from across the city will also be invited to share their experiences and opinions on what needs to change.

The panel will then be tasked with providing recommendations to the council and other partners, on the basis of the evidence they have collected.

Recent figures have shown that the West Midlands is in the grip of a violent crime epidemic, with recorded incidents of knife crime up six percent in the year to June 2018.

Overall crime levels in the region have increased by 10 per cent.

Dwaine Haughton, aged 24, was shot dead in the Park Village area of the city in July, weeks after 15-year-old schoolboy Keelan Wilson was knifted in Merry Hill.

Conservative councillor Sohail Khan, who will sit on the new scrutiny panel, said: “Everyone is concerned to see incidents of violent crime increasing in Wolverhampton and across the West Midlands.

“The police are doing everything they can to tackle this issue, and the Conservative Group recently met with the city’s Chief Superintendent to see what steps he is taking to reduce these crimes, which have such a profound impact on people’s lives. But there are also lessons for the council and other partners to learn too.

“That’s why Conservative councillors have been calling for a scrutiny panel to be established, so that we can hear directly from communities and make recommendations that will hopefully make a difference to this troubling picture.”