Birmingham is ahead of both Liverpool and Manchester in the crime index as well as the statistics for firearm and non-firearm related violent crime.
Birmingham has a long standing culture of gun production which partly explains the difference I’d say. Certainly guns are more readily available in and around the city than anywhere outside London.
Anyone I’ve discussed the subject with at WMP thinks Birmingham is more violent than anywhere else, although you might very well get a similar refrain if you spoke to someone at GMP I suppose.
Upon reflection, I don’t think it’s miles worse btw, just discernibly so - so I’ll correct what I previously said about it being ‘far’ worse. It’s worse.