The number of knife or sharp instrument offences recorded by the police in London rose to approximately 16,344 in 2024/25, compared with 15,016 in the previous year. This was the highest number of knife crime offences reported in London during this provided time period. Between 2015/16 and 2019/20, knife crime in London increased yearly, with a particularly large increase occurring between 2016/16 and 2017/18. A wider trend The increase in knife crime witnessed in London has occurred alongside a general increase in overall crime throughout England and Wales. In 2022/23, there were approximately 6.74 million crime offences across England and Wales, compared with just over four million ten years earlier. During a similar time period, the number of knife homicides also increased, and reached 282 in 2017/18, compared with 186 in 2014/15. Due to strict gun laws in the United Kingdom, firearms are rarely used to commit homicides, with knives or other sharp instruments being used in over 46 percent of homicides in 2023/24. Acid and moped attacks While knife crime in London has certainly been given a lot of attention by the British media, the increase in acid and moped attacks during the same time period also generated many headlines. In 2017, for example, there were 471 acid attacks recorded by the Metropolitan Police, compared with just 51 in 2007. Moped crime also reached high levels in 2017, with both types of crime declining to much lower levels by the early 2020s. Although overall crime in London continued to rise until 2019/20, this fell back during the COVID-19 pandemic, but by 2023/24, the number of crimes committed in the capital had exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

Police recorded crime figures by Police Force Area and Community Safety Partnership areas (which equate in the majority of instances, to local authorities).

Incident-based crime statistics (actual incidents, rate per 100,000 population, percentage change in rate, unfounded incidents, percent unfounded, total cleared, cleared by charge, cleared otherwise, persons charged, adults charged, youth charged / not charged), by detailed violations (violent, property, traffic, drugs, other Federal Statutes), police services in Manitoba, 1998 to 2024.

There were 11,249 handling offensive weapon crimes recorded by the police in Scotland in 2024/25, a peak for this type of crime during the provided time period.

The data contained within is governed by an Open Government Licence (OGL). link

Introduction

The history of knife carrying in England is a complex issue interwoven with societal changes, economic conditions, and evolving cultural attitudes. While knives have been tools for millennia, their perception and regulation as potential weapons has fluctuated dramatically over the past century. I will delve into the factors influencing knife carrying, the legislative responses, the socio-cultural implications and visualising the data from the Home Office.

The 20th Century: A Shift in Perception

• Early 20th Century: A Tool, Not a Weapon
  • Knives were primarily utilitarian objects, used in agriculture, trades, and domestic life.
  • Carrying a knife was commonplace, particularly in rural areas.
  • Legal restrictions were minimal, reflecting the societal norm of knives as essential tools.
• Post-World War II: Urbanisation and Social Change
  • The rapid growth of urban centres and industrialisation led to a shift in societal structure.
  • The perception of knives began to evolve. While still essential tools for many, they were increasingly associated with urban crime and violence.
  • The emergence of youth subcultures and gang-related activities contributed to this changing image.
• Late 20th Century: The Rise of Knife Crime
  • A surge in knife-related violence gained media attention, fuelling public fear and concern.
  • Government and law enforcement responded with stricter regulations and increased policing.
  • The introduction of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 marked a significant turning point, with harsher penalties for knife possession and use. ###The 21st Century: A Complex Issue
• Early 21st Century: Intensified Focus
  • Knife crime remained a persistent issue, leading to further legislative measures.
  • The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 introduced stricter penalties for carrying knives.
  • Campaigns targeting young people were launched to deter knife carrying.
• Factors Influencing Knife Carrying
  • Risk factors associated with knife-crime in the United Kingdom among young people aged 10–24 years: a systematic review. link
  • Knife Crime - Home Affairs Committee (Parliament). link
  • Socio-economic conditions: Poverty, unemployment, and social deprivation have been linked to higher rates of knife crime.
  • Gang culture: Gang-related violence often involves knives as weapons of choice.
  • Media portrayal: The media's coverage of knife crime can influence public perception and behaviour.
  • Peer pressure: Young people may carry knives for protection or status.
• Challenges and Controversies
  • Balancing public safety with individual rights: Restrictions on knife carrying have raised concerns about infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens.
  • Effectiveness of legislation: The impact of stricter laws on reducing knife crime is debated.
  • Root causes: Addressing the underlying social and economic factors contributing to knife crime is complex and challenging.
• Laws about knives
  • In the UK, it is illegal to sell knives to anyone under the age of 18, as per the Criminal Justice Act 1988. This includes knife blades, razor blades, axes, and other sharply pointed items that could cause injury. The police and Trading Standards enforce this law.
  • It is illegal to carry any knife in public without a good purpose, carrying a sentence of up to 4 years in prison.
  • In 2016, the government banned zombie knives, whilst cyclone knives were banned in 2019.
  • A new law to ban zombie-style knives and machetes, will come into force on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. The law will make it illegal to own knives over 8 inches that have any two of the following three characteristics: A fine edge, A serrated edge, and Two or more holes in the blade. link
  • The Criminal Justice Bill will go further by increasing the maximum sentence for the possession of banned weapons from 6 months to 2 years, while anyone caught selling knives to under-18s, including online, will also face 2 years behind bars.
  • Police will also be given new powers to seize and destroy knives found on private premises if there are reasonable grounds to suspect the blade will be used in a serious crime. Previously, police could not seize knives found during a search on a property, even if they had suspic...

The What Worked? Policy Mobility and the Public Health Approach to Youth Violence study sought to further the ESRC's strategic objective of a 'safer, fairer society' through establishing a new evidence-base on public health approaches to violence reduction, and the ways such policies transfer between jurisdictions, to shape policy, guide best practice, and inform academic and public debate. Its main aim was to respond to the urgent social problem of rising youth violence. England and Wales have seen marked increases in homicide, knife crime, and hospital admissions for stab wounds, with particular concentrations in the city of London. Cressida Dick, when Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, stated that tackling youth violence was her 'number one priority.'

In March 2019, UK Prime Minister Theresa May unveiled a consultation on a new public health strategy for youth violence. This approach, which seeks to address violence using principles of prevention and education rather than policing and justice, marks a major step-change in policy. The interest in developing this approach stems primarily from Scotland, where radical reductions in violent crime over the last decade have been attributed to the adoption of a public health model. There was however a lack of clear understanding of 'what worked' in the Scottish context. While there have indeed been marked declines in youth violence, the mechanisms that have driven this decrease are poorly understood. There is confusion over what public health approaches are, how they work, and the conditions under which such ideas can travel. As a result, despite significant potential, the implications of the public health approach remain vague.

This study was delivered in a three work-streams approach, over a three-year period:

1. What Worked
Through interviews with elite actors/professionals - senior police, politicians, and civil servants - the research team aimed to establish an expert appraisal of the causes of violence reduction in Scotland. This was complemented by a detailed documentary analysis, investigating the social, political, and cultural conditions in which violence reduction occurred, and a series of 20 semi-structured interviews with practitioners and residents of communities affected by violence to establish a 'bottom-up' account of change. Finally, available statistical data on violence and health was leveraged to triangulate explanations. These data sources were combined to produce a policy briefing, two journal articles, and a short film on the theme of 'what worked'.

2. Policy Travels
Using flexible and responsive ethnographic methods, the research team aimed to track the evolution of the public health approach in London as it evolved in real-time, entering the 'assumptive worlds' of policy through attendance at key meetings and events. Observations were complemented by a series of semi-structured interviews with elite actors engaged in violence reduction in London, and 20 semi-structured interviews with residents and youth practitioners, exploring the factors that promote or impede change. Mirroring data-collection in Scotland, relevant statistical data was used to evaluate the extent to which policy changes are impacting on violence reduction. These data were used to produce a second policy briefing, two journal articles, and a series of podcasts on 'how ideas travel'.

3. Connecting Communities
Data from these work-streams will be connected via an open access data set to enhance understanding of best practice in violence reduction. Data will be analysed and published as an academic monograph aimed at scholars working in the areas of criminology, public health and social policy. Through our advisory group and engagement with policy user-groups, the research team will engage directly with policy actors at the highest level, and using cooperative methods will create a practitioner toolkit. Communities of policy, practice and public will be connected through a website, a series of events and a roadshow.

Further information and outputs can be found on the UKRI What Worked? Policy Mobility and the Public Health Approach to Youth Violence project page.

The UKDS study currently includes 127 qualitative interview transcripts, drawn from policy-makers and community participants. See the 'Data List' in the documentation for more details.

In 2023, the German police had recorded around 234,581 young adult crime suspects. This was an increase compared to the previous year, at 221,330 suspects.

The number of criminal offenses recorded in Germany fluctuated during the specified period. In 2023, around 5.94 million crimes were registered, compared to 6.33 million in 2015. The data are based on police criminal statistics, which are compiled by the Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt). The statistics include all criminal offenses known to the police, as well as attempts to commit a crime. Not included are minor breaches of the law, crimes against the state and traffic offenses.

Raw data on crime supplied by the Metropolitan Police Service and the Mayors Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC). Pan-London data includes: - Total Notifiable Offences - Total Victim-based crime (and Sanctioned Detection Rates) - Violence against the Person - Violence with injury (VWI) (and SDR) - Serious Youth Violence - Female victims of robbery & Violence with Injury - Rape - Knife Crime (and SDR) - Knife Crime with Injury - Gun Crime (and SDR) - Gun Crime with firearm discharged - Gang violence indicator - Dog Attacks (and SDR) - Homicide - Sexual Offences - Burglary (all) - Burglary (residential) - Robbery (all) - Theft & Handling - Theft from Person - Theft of Motor Vehicle - Theft from Motor Vehicle - Criminal Damage - Domestic Offences - Homophobic Hate Victims - Racist & Religious Hate Victims - Faith Hate Victims - Disability Hate Victims - Stop & Search Totals (and related Arrest rate) - Police Strengths - Officer/Sergeant/Staff/Special Constable/PCSO - Satisfaction/Confidence in the Metropolitan Police Service (ease of contact/satisfaction with action taken/well-informed/fairly treated/overall satisfaction/overall confidence) NB. Quarterly data - Crime-related calls to Police by category - Anti-Social Behaviour-related calls to Police by category Borough data includes: - Fear of crime ("to what extent are you worried about crime in this area?") NB. Quarterly data NB. Action Fraud have taken over the recording of fraud offences nationally on behalf of individual police forces. This process began in April 2011 and was rolled out to all police forces by March 2013. Data for Greater London is available from Action Fraud here .

The city states of Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen were the states with the three highest crime rates in Germany in 2020, while the federal state of Bavaria had the lowest. Urban areas generally have higher crime rates than rural ones, making it difficult to compare Germany's three city states with the much larger federal states, which typically cover quite large areas. The federal state with the highest crime rate was Saxony-Anhalt at 7996 crimes per 100 thousand people, compared with the German average of 6209.

In 2023, the German police had recorded around 161,000 young adult crime suspects. This was an increase compared to the previous year, at 171,400 thousand suspects.

In 2023, the majority of victims of robberies in Germany were aged between 21 and 60 years. The data show both attempted and completed robberies.

The share of non-German crime suspects in Germany was 41.1 percent in 2023. This was an increase compared to the previous year. Figures fluctuated during the specified time period, peaking in 2023.

In 2023, there were 299 murder victims in Germany. This was an increase compared to the previous year, with 264 victims. The data only includes completed criminal acts.

This study of violent incidents among middle- and high-school students focused not only on the types and frequency of these incidents, but also on their dynamics -- the locations, the opening moves, the relationship between the disputants, the goals and justifications of the aggressor, the role of third parties, and other factors. For this study, violence was defined as an act carried out with the intention, or perceived intention, of physically injuring another person, and the "opening move" was defined as the action of a respondent, antagonist, or third party that was viewed as beginning the violent incident. Data were obtained from interviews with 70 boys and 40 girls who attended public schools with populations that had high rates of violence. About half of the students came from a middle school in an economically disadvantaged African-American section of a large southern city. The neighborhood the school served, which included a public housing project, had some of the country's highest rates of reported violent crime. The other half of the sample were volunteers from an alternative high school attended by students who had committed serious violations of school rules, largely involving illegal drugs, possession of handguns, or fighting. Many students in this high school, which is located in a large city in the southern part of the Midwest, came from high-crime areas, including public housing communities. The interviews were open-ended, with the students encouraged to speak at length about any violent incidents in school, at home, or in the neighborhood in which they had been involved. The 110 interviews yielded 250 incidents and are presented as text files, Parts 3 and 4. The interview transcriptions were then reduced to a quantitative database with the incident as the unit of analysis (Part 1). Incidents were diagrammed, and events in each sequence were coded and grouped to show the typical patterns and sub-patterns in the interactions. Explanations the students offered for the violent-incident behavior were grouped into two categories: (1) "justifications," in which the young people accepted responsibility for their violent actions but denied that the actions were wrong, and (2) "excuses," in which the young people admitted the act was wrong but denied responsibility. Every case in the incident database had at least one physical indicator of force or violence. The respondent-level file (Part 2) was created from the incident-level file using the AGGREGATE procedure in SPSS. Variables in Part 1 include the sex, grade, and age of the respondent, the sex and estimated age of the antagonist, the relationship between respondent and antagonist, the nature and location of the opening move, the respondent's response to the opening move, persons present during the incident, the respondent's emotions during the incident, the person who ended the fight, punishments imposed due to the incident, whether the respondent was arrested, and the duration of the incident. Additional items cover the number of times during the incident that something was thrown, the respondent was pushed, slapped, or spanked, was kicked, bit, or hit with a fist or with something else, was beaten up, cut, or bruised, was threatened with a knife or gun, or a knife or gun was used on the respondent. Variables in Part 2 include the respondent's age, gender, race, and grade at the time of the interview, the number of incidents per respondent, if the respondent was an armed robber or a victim of an armed robbery, and whether the respondent had something thrown at him/her, was pushed, slapped, or spanked, was kicked, bit, or hit with a fist or with something else, was beaten up, was threatened with a knife or gun, or had a knife or gun used on him/her.