Knife Crime – Help and Support

Knife Crime -help and support

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics yesterday reveal that knife-enabled crime in England and Wales rose by 4% in June 2024, with police recording 50,973 offences.

This marks a significant 80% increase over the past decade.

Despite this rise, current levels remain 8% lower than those of the pre-pandemic period ending in March 2020, which saw a record high of 55,170 offences.

Regional crime trends varied significantly. London saw a 16% increase in offences, reaching a 14-year high of 15,859. While West Midlands recorded a 4% decrease, it remains the region with the highest crime rate (179 per 100,000 population.) Avon and Somerset experienced a startling 32% surge in knife crime.

There was a 7% rise in robberies involving a knife or sharp instrument compared to the previous year. However, in contrast, the recorded offences of “possession of an article with a blade or point ” decreased by 4% by the year ending June 2024, dropping from 28,582 to 27,553 in the same period.