Knife Crime Statistics: England and Wales

Offences Relating to Knife Crime

• Legal Framework: Legislation from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guides laws on possessing and selling knives and offensive weapons.

• Specific Offences: It's illegal to possess:

  • An offensive weapon in public without reason (Prevention of Crime Act $1953$, section $1$).

  • A bladed/sharp article in public without good reason, except small folding pocketknives (Criminal Justice Act $1988$, section $139$).

  • An offensive weapon or bladed article on school premises without good reason (Criminal Justice Act $1988$, section $139A$).

  • Flick knives or gravity knives (Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act $1959$, section $1(1A)$).

  • Prohibited offensive weapons in private as listed in the Criminal Justice Act $1988$ (Offensive Weapons) (Amendment) Order $2016/803$ (section $141(1A)$).

• Further Information: See the Library briefing, "Knives, offensive weapons and serious violence" (January $2025$).

Sentencing for Knife Crime

• Offence Classification: All listed offences are "either way" offences, tried in either magistrates' or Crown Court based on severity.

• Sentencing Range: Sentences for possession vary from community orders to four years in custody, depending on culpability, harm risk, and other factors.

Police-Recorded Data on Knife Crime

Data Collection History

• Pre-2007/08: Knife crime data wasn't separately identified.

• April 2007 Onwards: Data collected for "selected serious violent offences" involving knives (e.g., homicide, attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, robbery).

• April 2008 Expansion: Included more violent and sexual offences (e.g., threats to kill, rape).

• ONS Data: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) provides comparable data from $2010/11$ onwards.

Interpreting the Data

• Data Variability: Changes reflect actual crime or factors like:

  • Improved Recording: Recent increases partly due to better police recording.

  • Covid-19 Pandemic: Caused a significant decrease during lockdowns.

  • New Methodologies (NDQIS): Most police forces ( $42$ of $44$) now use the National Data Quality Improvement Service (NDQIS) tool, adjusting historical data. Cross-force comparisons should be cautious.

  • Greater Manchester Police (GMP): Undercounting prior to March $2019$; data from June $2023$ to June $2024$ unavailable due to a new IT system, thus largely excluded from England and Wales data.

Trends Over Time (England and Wales excluding Greater Manchester)

• Overall Offences (2023/24): Approximately $50,500$ offences, up $4.4$% from $2022/23$ but down $2.8$% from $2019/20$.

• Selected Offences (2010/11 - 2022/23): Fell until $2013/14$, rose for five years, then decreased by $2.8$% since $2019/20$.

• Main Offences (2023/24): Assault with injury ($43.9$%) and Robbery ($42$%) are most common.

• Percentage Changes (2019/20 - 2023/24):

  • Total: $-2.8$%.

  • Increases: Rape ($+16.7$%), Indecent/Sexual assault ($+14.8$%), Threats to kill ($+13.7$%).

  • Decreases: Attempted murder ($-12.2$%), Robbery ($-6.6$%), Assault with injury ($-3.1$%), Homicide ($-0.4$%).

• Percentage Changes (2022/23 - 2023/24):

  • Total: $+4.4$%.

  • Increases: Robbery ($+13$%), Homicide ($+12$%), Indecent/Sexual assault ($+7.1$%), Rape ($+6.0$%).

  • Decreases: Threats to kill ($-7.0$%), Attempted murder ($-2.7$%).

• Caution: Small numbers for rape, sexual assault, attempted murder, and homicide mean large percentage shifts from minor changes.

Homicide Data

• Source: Home Office's Homicide Index.

• Latest Data (Year ending March 2023): $244$ homicides involved a sharp instrument.

• Long-Term Trend: Sharp instruments are the most common method of homicide since $1977$.

• Proportion of Homicides: Around $39$% of homicides over the last decade involved sharp instruments; $41$% in $2022/23$. This was $45$% for male victims and $32$% for female victims.

• Peak: $2017/18$ saw the highest number ($282$).

Knife Crime by Police Force Area

• Geographical Variations: Urban forces report higher knife crime levels.

• Highest Rate (2023/24 per $100,000$ population): West Midlands Police ($178$).

• Lowest Rate (2023/24 per $100,000$ population): Dyfed-Powys Police ($29$).

• Comparability: Data for $40$ of $43$ territorial forces are used; GMP and Gloucestershire data are not comparable or available.

• Notable % Change (2022/23 to 2023/24):

  • Greatest Increase: Avon and Somerset ($+25$%).

  • Greatest Decrease: Dyfed-Powys ($-35$%).

Knife Crime in London (Metropolitan Police Service - MPS)

Overall Trends (MPS, thousands)

• Data Source: MPS Crime statistics $2022/23$ dashboard.

• Trend (2011/12 to 2015/16): Declined annually.

• Peak: Over $15,600$ incidents in $2019/20$.

• Post-Pandemic: Rose each year to $15,000$ incidents in $2023/24$.

• Knife Crime with Injury: Fell to around $3,800$ in $2023/24$ from a peak of $4,700$ in $2017/18$.

Knife Crime by London Borough (2023/24)

• Highest Offences: Westminster ($904$ offences, $427$ per $100,000$ population).

• Lowest Offences: Kingston upon Thames ($98$ offences, $57$ per $100,000$ population).

• Greatest Proportional Decrease: Islington ($-9$%).

• Highest Proportional Increase: Richmond upon Thames ($+83$%).

Convictions for Knife Offences

Scope of Statistics

• Covered Offences: Data includes convictions for possessing bladed/pointed articles or offensive weapons in public or on school premises.

• Excludes: Statistics for other violent crimes involving a knife are not centrally collected.

Police National Computer (PNC) Data

• Source: "Knife Crime Statistics Quarterly Brief" provides provisional PNC data on cautions or sentences.

• Quarterly Trend (since 2010): Fell until Q1 $2013$, rose until Q1 $2019$, then fluctuated, influenced by Covid-$19$.

• Latest Data (Q2 2024): $5,458$ offences recorded ($+0.5$% from Q2 $2023$); about $5,100$ resulted in caution/sentence.

• Outcome of Offences:

  • Custodial Sentences: Increased significantly after May $2008$ Court of Appeal judgment and the Criminal Justice and Courts Act $2015$ (minimum six months for repeat adult offenders).

  • Custody Rate (PNC data): Rose from $23$% (Q1 $2010$) to $39$% (Q1 $2018$), then fell to $28$% (Q2 $2024$) due to pandemic-related backlogs.

• Year Ending June 2024 (19,903 offences):

  • Juveniles (10-17 years): $18$% of cases. Custody rate: $6$%; caution rate: $28$%; community sentence rate: $59$%.

  • Adults: Custody rate: $35$%; caution rate: $6$%; community sentence rate: $17$%.

Ministry of Justice (MoJ) Data

• Source: MoJ courts database, provides offender data, useful for pre-$2008$ trends.

• Custody Rate: Increased in $1997$ and significantly from $2008$. In $2023$, $28$% of proven offenders received custody, down $5$ points from $2019$.

• Caution Rate: Declined from $40$% in $1993$ to $9$% in $2023$.

• Average Custodial Sentence Length (ACSL): Increased from $2008$, reaching $7.2$ months in $2023$.

• Longer Sentences: Share of custodial sentences over one year rose from under $5$% before $2008$ to $16$% in $2023$.

Hospital Admissions Related to Assault by a Sharp Object

Importance of Supplementary Data

• NHS hospital data offers an alternative view of knife violence, as not all incidents are reported to police.

Data Source and Definition

• Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES).

• Scope: Covers admitted patient care only (after A&E).

• Finished Consultant Episode (FCE): A continuous care period under one consultant; doesn't represent unique patients.

• Clinical Code: Uses ICD-$10$ code X99 for assaults by any sharp object, not just knives.

Trends in FCEs for Assault by Sharp Object (England)

• Overall Range: Annually between $3,500$ and $5,100$ FCEs since $2010/11$.

• Latest Data (2023/24): $3,900$ episodes, a $3.3$% increase from $2022/23$. Up $7$% from its lowest point in $2014/15$.

FCE Data by Age and Sex (2023/24)

• Age Profile:

  • $18$ or younger: $17$% of admissions ($192$ under $16$, $463$ aged $16-18$).

  • $19+$ years: $3,205$ episodes.

• Sex Profile:

  • Male: $91$% ($3,543$ episodes).

  • Female: $9$% ($336$ episodes).