Knife Crime Soars As Murders In England And Wales Reach A Ten Year High
25 April 2019, 11:20 | Updated: 25 April 2019, 11:52
New figures from the Office for National Statistics show manslaughter and homicide cases rose 12% in 2018.
Shocking crime figures from the Office for National Statistics also show that the number of knife crime offences that police have investigated has gone up by 6%.
Police dealt with 732 homicides in 2018 - the highest since 2008 - 607 of which were murders.
The number of knife crimes hit 40,829 in 2018. But, the actual number is likely to be higher because figures do not include crime data from Greater Manchester Police, which has changed its crime-recording methodology.
The numbers of manslaughter and homicide rose for the fourth year in a row, excluding the London and Manchester terror attacks, figures increased by 12% to 732 in 2018.
Policing minister Nick Hurd said the Government would continue "our urgent and unprecedented action to reverse this terrible trend".
He said greater powers have been granted to officers, more than £1 billion has been funnelled into policing and that a greater emphasis was being put on prevention.
Alexa Bradley from the Office for National Statistics Centre for Crime and Justice said: “When we look at the overall level of crime, there has been no significant change over the last year.
"However, it is important to look at each crime type separately because the picture is very mixed.
"Robbery and vehicle offences have increased whereas burglary has decreased.
"Lower-volume high-harm violence involving knives has risen, whereas offences involving firearms have decreased.”
Labour's Shadow Home Secretary Dianne Abbot said that the figures are "deeply troubling" under this government.
“Members of the public and police officers are both increasingly concerned about the growth of serious crime including knife crime. But Ministers are in denial, refusing to accept that their cuts to police forces have had any impact either on crime levels or the ability to apprehend the criminals," Mrs Abbot said.
“The government is failing in one of its most basic duties, to protect its own citizens. These reckless cuts must end.”
Total police-recorded crime, excluding fraud and computer misuse, stood at 5.2 million offences in 2018 - up from 4.8 million in 2017, a rise of 7%.
The figure including fraud and computer misuse was 5.8 million, up from 5.4 million in 2017 - also a rise of 7%.
The term homicide includes murder, manslaughter, corporate manslaughter and infanticide.
