Shooting takes its toll

This story is a re-run of an article that appeared on this site first on the 29th November 2003 . I thought it was prudent to run the story again following the publicity over the deaths by shooting in Aston last year.

Councillor Phil Bateman said today “I asked West Midlands Police to provide information on the number of murders there had been in the West Midlands County over the last 6 years. I also requested information that has been provided by the police concerning the number of these murders that had been instigated by some one shooting another.

The figures are provided below, along with important comments from Chief Inspector Steve Glover.

Murder Figures for the West Midlands County
1999 - 48
2000 - 43
2001 - 48
2002 - 59
2003 - 37

Murder by shooting West Midlands County

1998 - 5
1999 - 5
2000 - 4
2001 - 6
2002 - 7
2003 - 8

Chief Inspector Steve Glover states “Murder figures are more accurate the year after because some murders are recorded some time after the offence date when a person dies. This may explain why this years figure so far is looking smaller.
Many murders are domestic related or involve children and do not involve firearms.

Firearms offences overall represent less that 1% of total crime and include a range of firearms offences from using an air weapon to shoot birds through to murder. The proportion of shooting incidents compared to overall crime is less that 0.5 %

the shootings tend to be confined to small groups of individuals who are
involved in crime. Rivalry and criminal conflict tend to be reasons behind the shooting murders. Of course there is potential for innocent people to get caught up in such conflict but it is rare.

Three quarters of all murders are detected. "

Councillor Phil Bateman said “I think that these figures are very important. There is certainly a concern right across the West Midlands County that gun crime is becoming an every day occurrence. But it is not only the UK that is showing fear at the rise in gun crime. In Toronto there are also concerns about the problem. There is a view in that great City that gun crime is starting to run out of control.

The Toronto Star quote‘s in a recent edition “ In 1998, only 23 per cent of the city's 56 homicides were committed with a firearm. Last year the gun-related portion had risen to 45 per cent of the 62 homicides committed.
So far this year, 26 of the 58 homicides on the books — 45 per cent — have been gun-related. That's down slightly from both 2002 and 2001, where guns were the culprits in some 53 per cent of the 59 murders committed that year.”


Greater Toronto is not too different in population levels from the West Midlands County. It is in a country Canada, not really recognised as being violent but with figures for murder and gun crime at much higher levels than our own.

Perhaps we can draw some comfort in the way that our gun crime and murders are not reaching any where near the levels that Canadians have to face. But we must take note that Toronto police report that the real problem in their criminal’s use of guns is the drug and gang cultures. These have taken a hold and we must not let that type of culture run riot here.

I shudder at the thought of gang violence and drug culture getting a real hold on places like Wolverhampton and Birmingham.

As a local politician I want to do all I can to help the police break this culture of drugs, gangs, and violence. I would appeal to residents across the City to do all they can to also inform and involve the police on any issue that helps breaks the cycle of violence.”