Number of arrests made as police recover machete, knives & slam gun in Birmingham

A number of arrests were made over the weekend as police recovered weapons including a homemade slam gun, machetes and knives in Birmingham.

The force have introduced the Section 60 powers following recent violence which has seen young people injured and killed as a result of knives. Akeem Bailey, 17, died on Friday (4 November) after he was stabbed in Ladywood last Sunday (30 October). Zechariah Nelson, aged 18, of no fixed address, has been charged with murder.

On Friday police made several arrests for weapons offences in Birmingham. One teenager was charged with possession of a knife and another turned out to be wanted for burglary by another force.

Last night (Saturday, 5 November) police arrested an 18-year-old man for possession of a slam gun and took him into custody. A stun gun and machete were also recovered as well as a zombie knife. The stop and search powers remained in place in Ladywood and the surrounding areas of Aston, Lozells and East Handsworth, Handsworth Wood, Winson Green and the City Centre between 4 and 11pm on Sunday (6 November).

A statement from West Midlands Police, read: “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 suspect may be involved in violence, or carrying weapons, without the need to have reasonable grounds.y.

“We are also working with the Violence Reduction partnership, Birmingham Children’s Trust and youth services to speak with young people around how and why we’re using Section 60 to keep them safe. We always want to be open and transparent around S60 and will share the results, alongside body-worn video of them being used, with an independently chaired scrutiny panel.

“Knives can destroy lives every single one of us has a role to play in keeping everyone safe.”