Shocking scale of violent crime already this year after young man killed in Walsall attack

Police say they are working “around the clock” to tackle the problem after more than a dozen serious incidents this month, an official has said.

Shootings, stabbings, arson attacks and up to 20 people brandishing weapons are among the offences currently plaguing the region as tensions continue to flare up.

But officials have said they will do everything they can to bring the perpetrators to justice after the violence continued into the weekend, leaving one man dead and another in hospital.

Bailey Atkinson, from Bloxwich, was attacked by a group on High Street, Walsall, near Asda in the early hours of Saturday morning and died a short time later.

Meanwhile, with a man in his 20s was stabbed on Dudley High Street early on Sunday morning. He was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster said: “Violence in the Black Country or anywhere else in the West Midlands, will not be tolerated.

“I want to reassure people that the police work around the clock to investigate any crime, deal with the perpetrators and bring them to justice. I have also pledged to recruit and train an extra 450 extra neighbourhood police officers to keep people, their families and local community safe and secure.” Meanwhile patrols have been stepped up – and stop and search powers utilised – in Walsall and Bloxwich following the murder of Mr Atkinson.

The Section 60 order was put in place from yesterday and was due to expire today at 7am. It allows officers to stop and search people they suspect may be involved in violence without the need to have reasonable grounds.

It covered the areas of St Matthews, Bloxwich West and East, Blakenall, Birchills and Leamore.

Sergeant Phil Upton, Neighbourhood Policing Supervisor, said: “We don’t take the decision to use S60 lightly and only after careful consideration.

“These powers allow us to stop and search people we may suspect may be involved in violence, or carrying weapons, without the need to have reasonable grounds. Our aim is to keep everyone safe.

“We will have increased patrols in these areas and uniformed officers. The increased presence of officers and the additional powers helps us to keep our communities safe.”

Meanwhile anyone with CCTV, mobile phone footage or dashcam footage of the incident on Saturday has been asked not to share it on social media, but to get in touch with the force. People can use the Live Chat function at west-midlands.police.uk

Violent crimes in 2023

January 2: A man was allegedly "knifed across the neck" during an incident at Robert Wynd, in the Woodcross area of Wolverhampton, at 4.40pm. Police said they had been called to an assault. A woman, purporting to be the victim's spouse, revealed on social media the extent of the injuries.

January 5: Shots were fired at a home in Tennyson Street, in Pensnett, at around 7.15pm. Police confirmed nobody was hurt as they checked the scene.

January 10: A major fire engulfed Horseley Heath Post Office in Tipton at around 6pm. A woman in her 50s suffered minor injuries in the blaze. Police launched an investigation into the fire which was believed to have been started by arsonists wearing balaclavas. The store remains shut.

January 10: Another major fire – which involved an exploding gas cannister – left 22,000 homes without power across the Black Country. The nearby Boundary Outlet in Walsall had to be evacuated. Fire investigations said they believed the fire had been started deliberately.

January 12: Two men were injured after a shots were fired in a shop on Bertram Road, Smethwick, at around midday. Three men have since been charged with attempted murder.

January 13: A rambo knife and drugs were seized after a police officer was injured in a chase outside Dudley College.

January 16: A number of shots were fired by a "masked gunman" on Clifford Road, West Bromwich, at around 3pm. Nobody was believed to have been injured with eyewitnesses seeing two men in balaclavas, with one firing at a house.

January 18: A boy, aged 13, was taken to hospital was stabbed near Birmingham New Street. He suffered injuries not believed to be life-threatening, or changing. It is believed he was attacked by a group of youths at around 4.30pm on the McDonald's ramp in Stephenson Place.

January 21: A man was taken to hospital after reports of disorder and gunfire in Willenhall Road, Wolverhampton. A 23-year-old suffered injuries to his leg and self-presented at the hospital. Two men were arrested and then released on bail.

January 22: Another shooting took place in Wolverhampton this time at a house where a window was damaged. It happened on Emerson Road, on the Scotlands Estate, at around 7.50pm.

January 23: Police dispatched armed officers after up to 20 people were seen fighting with knives and bats in Tipton. The group had made off from Horseley Road at 9pm by the time police arrived – with reports coming in minutes later of a cannabis factory, above a fast-food shop, being broken into.

January 25: Two masked men who had a knife and a hammer have stolen cash and tobacco during a raid at a shop in Cannock. The hooded men, who were wearing gloves, entered the shop on Cannock Road, Chadsmoor, at 9.55pm.

January 26: A man was killed and a woman was taken to hospital after being hit by a car in Tipton Road, Sedgley. A man was later arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and later bailed.

January 28: Bailey Atkinson, aged 20, from Bloxwich, was attacked by a group believed to have been armed on High Street, Walsall near Asda in the early hours of Saturday morning and died a short time later.

January 29: A man in his 20s was taken to hospital in a critical condition after being stabbed shortly after 4am on Dudley High Street.