How UK city became ‘worse than Mafia ganglands’… as crack dealers and pimps rule over street dubbed ‘The Front Line’
IN the first week of the school holidays, Coventry’s Wave Waterpark in the city centre is packed with excited children.
Nearby, in a park at the side of the shopping centre, families enjoy picnics on benches, while pensioners chat outside a busy street café.
It’s a scene sadly marred by a group of drunks gathered in an adjacent doorway of the Methodist Central Hall.
Just yards away on a grassed area, a dishevelled man is sprawled out, face down, where youngsters are kicking a ball.
One doorway drunk is swigging from a beer can and loudly swearing into a mobile phone, while a woman, collapsed on a pile of grubby bedding, is laughing hysterically.
“You get used to this in Coventry,” says a young mum, hurrying past with her two-year-old daughter in a pushchair.
“It’s hard to know who’s drunk or who’s just off their head on drugs round here. It’s not exactly the best place to bring up your kids.”
Last year, the once-thriving West Midlands city was rated the second worst in Europe for crime levels.
Now, in 2023, it’s ranked higher than Naples, the Italian home of the Mafia, according to figures produced by staticians Numbeo.
A total of 5,715 separate offences were recorded in the area last year, which means the equivalent of one offence every 92 minutes.
Of the over 5,000 offences, 1,954 crimes were of a violent or sexual nature. Coventry also had the nation’s seventh highest rate of weapons possession offences.
Haven for drugs & pimps
In the run-down Hillfields area of Coventry, residents are tired of waiting for council regeneration and a safer environment.
“Ironically, it’s a tight-knit community where drug dealers and pimps work alongside prostitutes, while the rest of us turn a blind eye,” says resident DJ Krissy Lewis, 44.
You don’t often see police on patrol so it’s easy for dealers to stand on the street corners and sell crack cocaine.
“It’s sad because it’s so addictive. You see people begging for money to get more. It costs £40 for one hit and an hour after that, they just want another one.”
Kerry Sanders, 39, shows off extensive bruises on her arm where she tried to fight off a mugger stealing her bag two weeks ago.
“My arm got stuck in the strap and he was a lot bigger than me,” she said. “I only had a couple of quid in my purse so it wasn’t worth bothering with, but people round here don’t care.
“You’re talking about people with major addictions who don’t care whether they rob someone or break into people’s houses to find what they can to sell.
“I had my flat broken into about five months ago and they took my telly. You can report these things to the police and they give you a crime number but you know you’re unlikely to get your stuff back.”
King William Street is knows as The Front Line because of the dealers and prostitutes who hang out there
John Hampford
Hillfields retired care worker John Hampford, 66, has lived in Coventry all his life and says it has always been blighted by crime.
“No one’s got any money so round here, they think mugging someone or nicking it is the best way to get some. Hillfields had a bad reputation in the 70s and it’s never really changed.
“King William Street is knows as The Front Line because of the dealers and prostitutes who hang out there. You wouldn’t want to walk down there alone as a woman.”
Knife crime
Crime reports across the city make for a depressing catalogue of unrelenting and senseless attacks.
Knife crime has been an increasing problem in Coventry, with police carrying out knife sweeps in parks in an attempt to find the weapons.
More than 7,000 knife crime incidents were reported in the West Midlands last year, the highest outside London.
Last week, West Midlands Police issued an appeal after a teenager was robbed a knifepoint for his phone in the city. In February this year there were reports of a 14-year-old girl being slashed by a blade outside a school.
For the three months from April, West Midlands Police have arrested 2,626 more people than the same period last year – a rise of 27 per cent.
One of the city’s most successful schemes to keep kids off the streets and away from crime was launched four years ago by Tyler Campbell with a £5,000 Prince’s Trust grant.
The 22-year-old is a full-time ambassador for Fridays, which mentors and teaches life skills to ten to 18-year-olds, and says said escaping a prison sentence for car theft when he was 17 helped turn his life around.
“It was a game changer for me,” he said. “I could have easily gone the wrong way through mixing with the wrong crowd.
“I’ve seen a lot of friends who have been on the receiving end of knife crime, county lines drugs and even know of a kid of 11 who is now in prison for shooting a guy, so I wanted to do something that helped young people sort out their lives.
“I had a good upbringing with supportive parents but was still on the streets taking cars and driving them without a licence. I went to court and was fined £250, with 200 hours community service and eight points on a driving licence I didn’t even have.
“But I was lucky. Because it was my first offence, I was spared prison and my mum told me to do something for other kids like me. I can’t believe where I am today.”
The scheme – which runs social, sports and music events with rappers, free barbering and make-up sessions across the city – proved so successful with disillusioned youngsters that Tyler had the honour of meeting King Charles at the Commonwealth Games.
“It’s about reaching out to children and teenagers in schools and in the community to offer them a safe space and the chance to talk to people who can help them see the dangers of negative influences,” he said.
“We’ve had to take knives off kids at the door. They carry them because they’re scared of being hurt by rival gangs. It’s like, ‘I know others are carrying so I don’t want to be left unprotected.’
“It takes time to build trust but it helps to talk to people like me who have turned their life around. It’s about letting youngsters know they can achieve their dreams.”
According to Chief Superintendent Peter Henrick, from the Coventry Local Policing Area, since moving to a new police operating model in April this year, total crime in the city has dropped.
“Significant reductions have been seen in serious youth violence, in particular crime in which a knife is used,” he said.
“Reducing crime and keeping people safe is our top priority, and we will always work with partners in local government, healthcare and education to achieve this.
“We understand the concerns of people in the city and will do all we can to act on any intelligence or reports of crime we receive.
“Our officers run ‘Op Speedy’ days every fortnight, in which teams across the city deliver high-impact policing in the most vulnerable areas of Coventry.
“Activities include anti-social behaviour patrols, knife sweeps, bike-marking and vehicle-checking operations and warrants on businesses breaking the law.
“Our gangs team also regularly carries out warrants on drug farms in the city, as well as serving closure orders on premises where crime is taking place.”
A spokesman for Coventry City Council said none of their councillors had any comment to make but added that the council agreed with Chief Supt Henrick’s statement.