The key facts

  • The number of gun discharges in the West Midlands area fell from 157 in 2020–21 to 69 last year and 30 in the first seven months of 2026
  • Police attribute the decline to the creation of a serious crime unit where every discharge is investigated as a murder
  • Former gang member Zimbo points to a cultural change and youth outreach by organisations, but notes there is not less gun

From the 'gun crime capital' to a sharp drop in shootings

More than a decade ago, the West Midlands was called the firearms crime capital of England and Wales: high-profile shootings and regular gunfights between rival gangs took place there, and the West Midlands police force area led the country in firearms offences per capita. 'Back then there were shootings every day — both recorded and unrecorded,' recalls Simeon Moore, known as Zimbo, a former member of the Johnson Crew, one of Birmingham's best-known gangs of the 2000s.

The figures: a six-year decline

According to figures provided to BBC News by West Midlands Police, the number of firearms discharges in the force operation area covering Birmingham, Wolverhampton, the Black Country and Coventry has fallen markedly over the past six years: 157 in 2020–21, 148 in 2021–22, 69 last year and 30 in the first seven months of 2026. The outlet notes that figures for different periods are not directly comparable due to differences in recording methodology: in 2002–03 the police recorded about 1,300 firearms offences, while in calendar year 2024 — 504.

Police: a specialist unit and seizures

West Midlands Police links the decline to a reorganisation and the creation of a serious crime unit that handles all firearms incidents: every discharge is investigated as a murder. Detective Superintendent Ryan Chambers said the unit specialises in the most serious crime and targets offenders and gun holders. According to him, 50% of the discharges police encounter involve shotguns that were legally owned but stolen in burglaries and ended up in criminals' hands. 'Over the last 12 months we have had a good level of success: the most seizures and the biggest reduction in discharges in recent years,' Chambers said.

Community: a cultural change

Zimbo, who served six years for possessing a semi-automatic weapon as a teenager and spent two decades 'in and out of prison', believes it is not just about the police. In his view, the culture has changed: people who have lived a criminal life now speak openly about it to young people — 'if you start living like that, expect prison, losing friends or your own life.' He also highlights the work of Birmingham organisations with young people, thanks to which the city, in his words, 'is becoming more like a village' — the community is starting to work together. Zimbo heads the urban division of Revere Records studio, where young artist Solitary is recording a track — one of the projects giving young people opportunities.

The problem persists

Firearms crime has not disappeared. According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics for England and Wales, the West Midlands area is second only to the Metropolitan Police (Met) in the total number of discharges — but it is also second in the size of the population it serves. Earlier this year, cameras captured a shooting outside the FJ Lounge club in Aston: two men shot at each other, one of them and an innocent passer-by working at a food stall were wounded; two men were convicted, with sentencing expected next week. In 2025, after a shooting at the Mango club in the city centre, a man was left in a critical condition. 'I don't think there is less gun — it's just that fewer people are using it,' says Zimbo. During a raid in Dudley, which BBC journalists observed, no firearms were found, but machetes and a crossbow were discovered, and a man with a week-old gunshot wound to the arm was detained; his trial is expected in 2029. Guns still enter the country despite strict laws, but the work of police and the community is, according to the BBC, delivering results.

Zimbo is wearing a black hat and has long dreadlocks and a black jacket. Behind him is a computer screen and recording equipment.
Image caption,

Zimbo says there are more influential voices now that young people listen to

A selection of guns with yellow tags are displayed on top of some silver cylinders. There is a shotgun with brown handles, a grey 3D printed semi automatic gun, a silver firearm and three black firearms.
Image caption,

A 3D printed semi-automatic gun, sawn-off shotgun and converted blank firearms are among the weapons that have been seized and are in the police armoury

Armed police are gathered for a briefing ahead of a raid. You can see officers wearing helmets and holding weapons, with parked cars in the background, including a patrol car.
Image caption,

Armed police gather outside a flat in Dudley ahead of a raid in the early hours

A man in a fleecy grey hoodie and shorts is being escorted away by an armed police office. You can only see their backs. A bandage is visible on his hand and there is a police car and officer in the background. It is dark.
Image caption,

The arrested man had a bandage on his hand from a shooting the previous week