Published by Robert L Senior Reporter
Knife crime has surged by 5% in the past year, according to the latest release from the ONS, marking a concerning rise in violence across England and Wales. According to police records, there were 48,716 incidents involving a knife or sharp instrument, compared to 46,367 the previous year. This increase reflects a worrying trend in the prevalence of knife-related offences, posing significant challenges to law enforcement and community safety initiatives.
The Metropolitan and West Midlands police force areas report the highest volumes of knife-related crimes. In the West Midlands, incidents rose by 5% to 5,239, while the Metropolitan Police Service recorded a significant 22% increase, reaching 13,957 incidents.
Of particular note is a large 19% increase in robberies involving knives.
“Increase in possession of article with a blade or point offences”
Moreover, there has been a 4% increase in “possession of article with a blade or point” offences, totalling 27,846 incidents in the year ending September 2023. This trend suggests that efforts to tackle knife crime must encompass not only prevention but also highlights the importance of enforcement measures such as today’s announcement by the Home Secretary to ban dangerous machetes and zombie knives.
As knife crime continues to rise since pandemic levels, The Ben Kinsella Trust is calling for everyone to recognise their responsibility for knife crime prevention. This includes a plea to tech companies – particularly social media companies – whose platforms are being misused to normalise and glamourise knife crime and sell dangerous weapons.
Patrick Green, CEO of the Ben Kinsella Trust said “We desperately need tech companies to take greater responsibility. They have miserably failed to self-regulate and continue to sell dangerous weapons on their platforms, whilst also promoting and profiting from violent content. They must recognise their role in knife crime prevention.”
“Calls for everyone to recognise responsibility for knife crime prevention”
Our crime reporter said, “More needs to be done, the criminal justice system in the UK is not fit for purpose, there is too many do-gooders stepping in the way of severe punishment being delivered to the most serious of offenders.
“More needs to be done by our Government”
You only need to look at the most recent attacks in East London, members of the public being injured, a child murdered and police officers attacked whilst doing their job to understand that more needs to be done by our government on knife crime.
We have seen fatal knife attacks in Nottingham, and most recent incidents of knife attacks in a school in Wales and a school in Sheffield.
How many more people need to lose their life before something is done.
The current sentencing guidelines for someone convicted of carrying a knife is upto 4 years Imprisonment.
G2K INCIDENT WATCH 