West Midlands Police is experiencing a massive increase in demand for its services thanks to soaring crime rates and 999 calls.

The shocking increase was highlighted in a paper drawn up by Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson as West Midland MPs prepared to meet Police Minister Nick Hurd to call for more funding.

Comparing the last 12 months - November 2016-October 2017 - with the same period a year previously shows:

  • Emergency (999) calls for service up by 12%, increasing from 629,500 to 705,500
  • Total recorded crime up by 14%, increasing from 197,000 to 224,000

And crimes that are particularly complex and resource intensive to investigate are increasing:

  • Violence with injury was up by 6%, from 24,500 cases to 26,000
  • Sexual offences up 25% from 4,500 to 6,000
  • Domestic violence up 8% from 22,000 to 24,000
  • Child sexual exploitation up 47% from 260 to 380
  • Modern slavery up 135% from 140 to 330
  • Gun crime up 15% from 580 to 660

According to the paper, prepared for MPs and seen by the Birmingham Mail, some of the increase has come because victims are now more confident about reporting crimes. But it still adds up to increased demand for West Midlands Police.

The force also faces pressure due to the threat of terrorism .

While it has a £45 million ring-fenced grant to fund the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, it has also been forced to spend £1 million on overtime for ordinary police officers since April this year.

But central government grant for West Midlands Police has fallen by £145 million since 2010, and the number of police officers has been cut by 2,000.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson

A group of West Midlands MPs will meet the Police Minister, Nick Hurd, to set out the case for increased funding for West Midlands Police.

Ahead of the meeting, Jack Dromey, Labour MP for Erdington, said: “It is increasingly difficult for the Police to do their job of keeping the people of the West Midlands safe. This meeting is vital for us to call for the Government to increase funding for the Police Service."

Ian Austin, Labour MP for Dudley North, said: “Local people want more police on the streets, more offenders brought before the courts and more criminals put in jail, so I’m fighting for the West Midlands to get a fairer share of police funding.”