Birmingham's crime rate is significantly higher than the national average with violent crime making up 40.6 per cent of reported crimes across the region. Stories of serious violent crimes pervades the news cycle. Are things getting worse, and what can be done about it?
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00:00 I definitely think violence crimes has definitely increased, most definitely.
00:04 And I think a lot of the reason for that is probably poverty.
00:07 I think a lot of people are in a lot of hardship these days,
00:10 and I don't think people find it very easy to find their way in the world.
00:18 I think there's a lot of really lost people, a lot of really sad people,
00:21 and I really don't think that the resources are there for mental health,
00:26 and I really don't think the resources are there for people
00:29 who become homeless or go through really diverse situations.
00:33 So then I think that makes an impact, maybe,
00:36 are now there going out and conducting themselves.
00:40 I think there's a lot of very broken people about.
00:42 Yes, there is more violent crime. I think it's nationwide.
00:47 I don't think it's endemic to any part of England. I think it's all of it.
00:51 I think probably cost of living has not helped. COVID obviously didn't help.
00:58 I don't know a solution. I think we've got an awful lot of,
01:01 well, immigrants coming in. I think that needs to be addressed.
01:09 That part of it needs to be addressed, and the government needs to address
01:12 funding for different parts of the country
01:14 to ensure that everybody is on a level playing field.
01:18 I think there's definitely a lot more crime, especially in Birmingham.
01:21 Everywhere, but especially Birmingham.
01:22 Obviously, you've heard of people like London as well.
01:25 But in big places like this, people have all types of knives, weapons on them.
01:29 It's really, really bad. Obviously, I don't agree with it.
01:34 Obviously, I wish that the world would be a little bit better.
01:36 I think we should all help each other out,
01:38 rather than carrying weapons and using verbal abuse.
01:40 Maybe just be nice to each other.
01:42 It shouldn't be so easy to access weapons as well, which is a big problem,
01:45 which I personally think.
01:47 You shouldn't be able to go down to the street, just about to go to any shop,
01:49 without false ID or go grab weapons, if that's not good.
01:54 You shouldn't be able to grab things that easy.
01:55 So I think that's why it's increased, especially with the weapons anyway.
01:59 In terms of what do I think?
02:01 I mean, I think cuts have a huge impact on that, don't they?
02:04 I think cuts across the whole, you know, every type of cut.
02:08 If you're looking at youth, if you're looking at kind of lack of engagement,
02:11 if you're looking at lack of mental health, you know, all of that.
02:14 So I think years of Tory cuts and strip backs,
02:18 and obviously the fact that people are really, you know,
02:21 really struggling at the moment with the cost of living.
02:25 Again, it comes down to poverty.
02:28 And if we talk about men, I think the biggest thing is, it's mental health.
02:32 There's not a lot of people there for men.
02:34 Unfortunately, if a man has to go through something,
02:37 he has to go through it alone.
02:38 You go to the hospital and you say you're struggling,
02:40 they'll sit you down and say, "Oh, what's going on?
02:44 Oh, we think, you know, you should have a consultation with your GP or anything."
02:48 But no one's willing to sit down and actually listen properly.
02:51 And say, "Okay, you know what?
02:52 Maybe you're just going through a rough patch in life.
02:56 How can we support you through this?"
02:57 Not everything has to be about money.
02:59 Sometimes people are just lonely.
03:01 They need a companion.