Crime in major cities

Did crime exist outside London?  Of course it has, although reading some of the comments by old London criminals, would give the impression that crime can be nothing compared to the capital.  Over the years, the only city to be compared to London has been Glasgow, but in reality some of the major cities have always had a thriving underworld.  Liverpool has become a rival to London, with many criminals making huge fortunes through the drug trade.  Many villains names have entered the public domain, along with numerous criminal families.  Newcastle has come to the fore.  Manchester has become notorious worldwide through the relentless gang wars that left many dead and wounded.  Strangely enough, there seems to be a dearth of information on the crime scene in the Midlands.  Birmingham, despite being the second city, has kept it`s head below the parapet, or that the national media simply was not interested.  Other places hitting the headlines on varying degrees include Bristol, Leeds, Bradford, Sunderland.