Knife crime up 22% in England and Wales

Knife crime rose by 22% in England and Wales in 2017, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The figures – which cover crimes recorded by the police – also showed an 11% increase in firearms offences.

A separate survey on the public’s experience of crimes in the two countries said there had been no change in overall violent offences.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) said most types of crime stayed at similar levels to 2016.

It added that eight-in-10 adults had not experienced any crimes asked about in the survey throughout 2017.

Whilst some of the increases in recorded crimes are explained by changes in the way police report them, the ONS warned that some of the statistics showed a genuine rise in the offence – such as the 9% increase in burglaries and the 33% increase in robbery.

Recorded homicides were also up by 9% in 2017, to 653 from 599 the previous year.

But when including the victims of terror attacks in London and Manchester, and those who died in Hillsborough in 1989 – which were ruled as manslaughter by a coroner in 2016 – the figures fell slightly, from 695 to 688.

Alexa Bradley, who focuses on crime statistics and analysis for the ONS, said the two sets of figures showed the “picture of crime” had been “fairly stable”, with levels much lower than the peak seen in the mid-1990s.

But she said the “high harm” offences, such as homicide, knife crime and gun crime, were on the up, which was “a trend that has been emerging over the previous two years.”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the rise in these violent incidents was “unacceptably high”, and they were “a national problem that required national solutions from the government”.

Key statistics from police recorded crimes in 2017

39,598 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument – up from 32,448 in 2016

6,604 offences involving firearms – up from 5,864 in 2016

688 homicides, including terror attacks in London and Manchester – but when the terror attacks and Hillsborough are excluded, there was a rise of 9% from 599 homicides to 653

74,130 recorded robbery offences – up from 55,824 in 2016

SOURCE: ONS

The CSEW showed a significant fall in computer misuse cases – which were only introduced as part of the figures last year.

The 28% drop in incidents, apparently down to a reduction in computer viruses, led to an overall fall in the number of crimes estimated by the survey.

But both the CSEW and police recorded figures showed a rise in vehicle crime, with the former estimating a 17% rise in vehicle-related theft and the latter recording a 16% increase in vehicle offences.

Source: BBC News