Only one in five West Midlands residents confident young people would report knife carrying to police
Some 46 per cent of West Midlands respondents said they were confident young people would share what they knew if they could do so anonymously
Only around one in five people in the West Midlands believe young people would tell police if they knew someone was carrying a knife, new research has revealed.
A YouGov survey commissioned by charity Crimestoppers found just 21 per cent of people in the region were confident that young people in their local area would share information with police about someone carrying a knife.
However, that figure more than doubled when people were asked whether youngsters would be willing to pass information to an anonymous service.
Some 46 per cent of West Midlands respondents said they were confident young people would share what they knew if they could do so anonymously.
Crimestoppers said the findings suggested fear, mistrust and concerns about being identified could be preventing potentially vital information about knife crime from being reported.
Fear of retaliation was highlighted as a particular issue, with 46 per cent of people surveyed in the West Midlands saying it was among the reasons they might not report information about crime to police.
The figures have been released as Crimestoppers launches a new campaign through Fearless, its service aimed specifically at young people.
Nationally, the research found only 31 per cent of 16 to 25-year-olds said they would be "very likely" to report information about knife crime directly to police, compared with 45 per cent of adults overall.
Among young people, 41 per cent said fear of retaliation could stop them sharing information about knife crime with police, while 28 per cent cited a lack of trust in the police.
The campaign features the story of Charlie Cosser, who was fatally stabbed in 2023 while trying to protect a friend.
His father Martin Cosser, co-founder of Charlie's Promise, is working with Fearless in an effort to encourage young people to understand that they can provide information about crime without revealing their identity.
Mr Cosser said: "No family should have to experience the heartbreak ours has endured.
"We know fear can stop people speaking up, but one piece of information can make all the difference.
"I hope this campaign helps young people understand they can share what they know anonymously and potentially save someone's life."
Fearless is run by Crimestoppers and allows young people to pass on information about crime anonymously. The service is independent of the police and does not ask people providing information for their name or identifying details.
The research also suggested awareness of how Crimestoppers operates remains relatively low in the West Midlands.
Only 37 per cent of people surveyed in the region were aware that its reporting service is completely anonymous, while 36 per cent knew the charity was independent of the police.
Crimestoppers said it hoped the campaign would make more young people aware that there was a way of sharing information about knife crime without revealing their identity.
The YouGov survey questioned 4,686 UK adults, including 380 people living in the West Midlands and 504 people aged between 16 and 25.
Fieldwork was carried out online between July 22 and 29, with the results weighted to be representative of UK adults aged 16 and over.
Anyone with information about knife crime or other serious criminal activity can pass it on anonymously through Fearless.