Big increase in knife crime, ONS figures reveal

24 April 2020

The number of knife crimes in Hertfordshire rose by 44 per cent last year to its highest level in the last decade, according to new Government figures.

Data from the Office for National Statistics released yesterday shows that there were 723 knife offences in the county between January and December 2019, up from 501 the previous year.

Overall, there were 86,470 offences, including 28,262 thefts and 19,828 violence against the person.

Hertfordshire Police Federation chair Geoff Bardell called for knife crime offenders to be properly punished.

“Knife crime is something that the public is quite rightly concerned about,” he said. “It can devastate people’s lives, causing trauma for families and communities.

“Our members are often the first on the scene and see at first-hand the impact it can have. We need to ensure that everything possible is being done to discourage people from carrying knives.

“When people are involved in knife offences, we need to ensure they are given tough sentences both as a punishment but also as a deterrent to others.”

The total number of offences involving knives or sharp instruments in England and Wales (excluding Greater Manchester Police) grew by seven per cent.

John Apter, national chair of the Federation, called for increased funding for forces to tackle knife crime.

He said: “Yet again we see the effects of austerity that have necessitated this current Government’s investment in funding and the 20,000-officer uplift announced last year – investment that will still only bring us back to pre-2008 levels.

“However, it will take time for the effects of this much needed investment to be felt and we can see the results in these figures.

“It is a tragedy that knife crime continues to spiral as my colleagues are stretched to their limits, and with fewer officers on patrol it comes as no surprise that street crime such as robbery has increased.”

Other national statistics include:

• A three per cent decrease in recorded offences involving firearms
• A one per cent increase in vehicle offences
• A two per cent increase in the overall number of homicides, this includes a single incident with 39 homicide victims, which if excluded shows a four per cent decrease overall.

John added: “Understandably, the next, post COVID-19 release will look quite different, as long-term lockdown will affect the statistics. What this current crisis has highlighted, though, is the other story told in these figures – that policing desperately needs long-term, sustained funding unaffected by political priorities so that we can tackle crime head-on.”