Knife Crime Hits All-Time High With Offences Up By 8%

18 July 2019, 12:41

Reports of knife crime have surged with over 43,000 offences across England and Wales last year.

Knife crime has risen enormously in a single year with offences recorded by police in England and Wales up by 8%.

In London alone, knife crime figures have risen by 52% in the last three years.

There have been at least 33 fatal stabbings in London this year, following a spike last year of 135.

Mayor Sadiq Khan claimed new data published by City Hall on Monday using figures from police and ambulance services showed a "direct link" between poverty and violent crime.

The London Mayor has branded the rise in fatal stabbings a "human cost of austerity".

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures released on Thursday excludes Greater Manchester Police, which records data differently.

The data relates to crimes recorded during the year ending March 2019 (April 2018 to March 2019).

The figures showed a 3% rise in firearm offences.

Mark Bangs, from the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice, said: "The picture of crime is a complex one. Overall levels of crime have remained steady, but this is not the case for all types of crime."

He mentioned "increases in violent crimes involving knives and sharp instruments" as well as "increases in fraud and overall theft, but decreases in burglary following recent rises".

The statistics also showed a 4% decrease in homicides.

Diana Fawcett, Chief Officer of the independent charity Victim Support, said: "Every day we see the complex causes of these crimes and the impact on families and whole communities.

"While these statistics reflect the scale of the issue they cannot fully convey the devastating human cost that results from these tragedies."