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CRIME: Figures show there is a higher prevalence of violence involving knives in urban areas

KNIFE CRIME across the country is continuing to rise, new crime figures for England and Wales have revealed today.

There has been an 8 per cent increase in the number of police recorded offences involving knives or sharp instruments, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Data shows that there is a higher prevalence of knife crime in urban areas.

“Knife crime offences are disproportionately concentrated in London. In the year ending September 2018, 35% of all crime involving a knife or sharp instrument happened in London,” the ONS reported.

The Metropolitan Police dealt with 168 knife crime offences per 100,000 people during 12 months ending in September last year.

Outside of London, the areas which saw the next highest rates of violent crime involving a knife were West Yorkshire (118 offences per 100,000 people), Greater Manchester (112 offences per 100,000 people) and the West Midlands (107 offences per 100,000 people).

In recent years there has been continued reductions in the overrall levels of crime but the figures for last year show that the overrall level of crime has stayed the same for the year ending September 2018.

Homicides, described as one of the lower-volume, higher-harm types of violent crime, have increased 14 percent.

As is the case with knife crime, homicides tend to be concentrated in London and other metropolitan areas.

Helen Ross, a statistician at the ONS’ centre for crime and justice, said: “In recent decades we’ve seen the overall level of crime falling, but in the last year, it remained level. There are variations within this overall figure, depending on the type of crime.

"Burglary, shoplifting and computer misuse are decreasing but others, such as vehicle offences and robbery are rising. We have also seen increases in some types of “lower-volume, high-harm” violence including offences involving knives or sharp instruments.”

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