Knife crime up

22 January 2020

Convictions and cautions for knife and offensive weapon offences in Hertfordshire have risen by almost 10 per cent in the last 12 months, according to new Government figures.

The number of people cautioned or convicted for knife or offensive weapon offences in Hertfordshire rose to 348 in the year ending September 2019, up from 317 the previous year.

It is the highest number of cautions or convictions for knife or offensives weapon offences recorded for the Force area since 2017, when there were 357.

Geoff Bardell, Hertfordshire Police Federation chair, said: “Our officers witness at first-hand the devastating impact that knives have on people, families and communities.

“The rise in knife crime figures will understandably be of concern to the public but these figures send out the message that those who commit these types of offences will be dealt with seriously by the police and the criminal justice system.

“Our dedicated officers work tirelessly and with huge determination to bring people to justice. We want to see their determined efforts backed by the Government with proper investment in policing so that we can continue to tackle knife crime and ensure that offenders face justice.”

Across England and Wales, 22,286 knife and offensive weapon offences were dealt with by the criminal justice system.

This is a three per cent increase on the previous year and is the highest number since the year ending September 2009, when there were 26,364.

The Ministry of Justice figures show that for most offenders (71 per cent) this was their first crime of this kind.

According to the report, offenders are now more likely to be handed an immediate jail sentence for knife and weapon offences, and for longer.

In the year ending September 2019, 38 per cent of knife and offensive weapons offences resulted in an immediate custodial sentence compared with 23 per cent 10 years earlier. The average length of custodial sentences also increased over the same period, from six months to just over eight months.

Justice minister Chris Philp said the Government was recruiting 20,000 more police officers, extending stop and search powers and ensuring the most violent offenders were kept in prison for longer.

"These figures should serve as a stark warning to those carrying knives - you are more likely to be jailed, and for longer, than at any point in the last decade," he added.