Highest number of knife crimes in a decade, new figures show
Written by News on 16/01/2020
The police and courts in England and Wales are dealing with the highest number of knife crimes in a decade, new figures show.
Some 22,286 knife and other weapon offences were dealt with by the criminal justice system in the year to September 2019.
This is a 3% rise on the previous year and the highest level since September 2009 (26,364).
The Ministry of Justice figures follow Tuesday’s announcement by the prime minister to order all Whitehall departments to take action on tackling crime.
Boris Johnson told ministers every department should consider itself a criminal justice department as part of a drive to look at the “complex causes of crime”.
This would involve long-term reforms to improve health, social care, youth services and education.
On Monday, it was revealed that nearly half of those charged with London knife killings over the past three years had previously committed an offence involving a blade.
A total of 379 suspects were charged with knife crime homicides by Scotland Yard between the start of November 2016 and the end of October 2019.
Some 173 of those charged in that period (46%), had previously committed a knife offence, according to data released by the force.
However the proportion of previous offenders charged with knife killings fell from 71% between 1 November 2016 and 31 October 2017 to 37% over the same period in 2018/2019.
(c) Sky News 2020: Highest number of knife crimes in a decade, new figures show
