Number of knife crime offences in London 2015-2024
- statista.com
- ai-chatbox.pro
Updated Apr 14, 2025
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EmailClick to copy linkLink copiedCiteStatista (2025). Number of knife crime offences in London 2015-2024 [Dataset]. https://www.statista.com/statistics/864736/knife-crime-in-london/Dataset updatedApr 14, 2025Time period coveredApr 1, 2015 - Mar 31, 2024Area coveredLondon, United Kingdom (England)DescriptionThe number of knife or sharp instrument offences recorded by the police in London rose to approximately 15,016 in 2023/24, compared with 12,786 in the previous year. This was the highest number of knife crime offences reported in London since 2019/20, when there were 15,928 offences. 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 2021/22, 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 41.4 percent of homicides in 2022/23. 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.
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Knife and Offensive Weapon Sentencing Statistics: July to September 2024
- gov.uk
Updated Feb 20, 2025+ more versionsShareFacebookTwitterEmailClick to copy linkLink copiedCiteMinistry of Justice (2025). Knife and Offensive Weapon Sentencing Statistics: July to September 2024 [Dataset]. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/knife-and-offensive-weapon-sentencing-statistics-july-to-september-2024Dataset updatedFeb 20, 2025Dataset provided byGOV.UKAuthorsMinistry of JusticeDescriptionDetails
This publication presents key statistics describing the trends in the number of offenders In England and Wales receiving cautions and convictions for:
- Possession of an article with a blade or point
- Possession of an offensive weapon, or
- Threatening with either type of weapon
Please note that cases still awaiting final decisions are no longer accounted for using estimation methodology. These are generally cases in the latest periods and are now counted as ‘other’ disposals until final decisions are made unless separately specified.
Accompanying files
As well as this bulletin, the following products are published as part of this release:
- ODS format tables containing data on knife or offensive weapon offences up to September 2024
- An interactive table tool to look at previous offences involving possession of a blade, point or offensive weapon. The tool provides further breakdowns by gender, police identified ethnicity and prosecuting police force area. The data used in the tool is also included as a separate csv file.
We regularly carry out work to improve our statistics and geography breakdowns, therefore please refer to the latest publication for the most up-to-date figures. The bulletin was produced and handled by the ministry’s analytical professionals and production staff.
Pre-release access
Prior to publication pre-release access of up to 24 hours was granted to the following persons:
Ministry of Justice:
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice; Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – covering sentencing; Permanent Secretary; Minister and Permanent Secretary Private Secretaries (x3); Special Advisors (x2); Director-General Policy: Prisons, Offenders and Analysis; Head of Sentencing Policy; Senior Policy Advisor, Custodial Sentencing Policy Unit; Policy Advisor, Custodial Sentencing Policy Unit; Head of Youth Justice Policy; Deputy Head of News and relevant press officers (x3).
Youth Justice Board:
Senior Communications Manager
Home Office:
Home Secretary; Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Crime and Policing; Policy Advisor, Serious Violence Unit; Head of Media and relevant press officers (x1)
Knife and offensive weapon sentencing statistics: October to December 2019
- gov.uk
- s3.amazonaws.com
Updated Mar 12, 2020+ more versionsShareFacebookTwitterEmailClick to copy linkLink copiedCiteMinistry of Justice (2020). Knife and offensive weapon sentencing statistics: October to December 2019 [Dataset]. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/knife-and-offensive-weapon-sentencing-statistics-october-to-december-2019Dataset updatedMar 12, 2020AuthorsMinistry of JusticeDescriptionThis bulletin presents key statistics describing the trends in the number of knife or offensive weapon offences receiving cautions and convictions in England and Wales. This bulletin does not cover all knife or offensive weapon crimes (offences involving a knife or offensive weapon) as published by the Office for National Statistics.
The information presented combines all three types of knife or offensive weapon offences; possession of an article with a blade or point in a public place or on school premises; possession of an offensive weapon without lawful authority or reasonable excuse in a public place or on school premises and offences of aggravated possession of a knife or offensive weapon.
Three extra documents accompany this bulletin:
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An interactive table tool showing the criminal history of knife or offensive weapon offenders, giving breakdowns by prosecuting police force, gender and ethnic appearance as well as previous offences, disposal, age group and year.
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An https://moj-analytical-services.github.io/knife_possession_sankey/index.html" class="govuk-link">interactive Sankey diagram (a type of flow diagram, in which the width of the arrows is shown proportionally to the number each represents) presenting information on outcomes and criminal history of offenders sentenced or cautioned for a knife or offensive weapon offence.
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A complete set of tables.
The bulletin was produced and handled by the ministry’s analytical professionals and production staff. For the bulletin pre-release access of up to 24 hours is granted to the following persons:
Ministry of Justice:
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice; Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – covering youth justice; Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – covering sentencing; Permanent Secretary; Minister and Permanent Secretary Private Secretaries (9); Special Advisors (2); Deputy Director for Bail, Sentencing and Release Policy; Head of Custodial Sentencing Policy Unit; Senior Policy Advisor, Custodial Sentencing Policy Unit; Head of Courts & Sentencing, Youth Justice Policy; Policy Advisor, Youth Sentencing; Head of News and relevant press officers (3).
Youth Justice Board:
Data Analyst, YJB Information and Analysis.
Home Office:
Home Secretary; Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability; Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Crime, Policing and the Fire Service; Minister Private Secretaries (4); Special Advisor; Assistant Private Secretary to the Special Advisors; Head of Weapons team, Serious Violence Unit; Head of Serious Violence Unit; Policy Advisor, Serious Violence Unit; Statistician, Violent Crime; and relevant press officers (2).
Cabinet Office:
Private Secretary to the Prime Minister; Principal Analyst, Prime Minister’s Implementation Unit.
Number of homicides involving a knife in England and Wales 2008-2024
- statista.com
Updated Feb 10, 2025ShareFacebookTwitterEmailClick to copy linkLink copiedCiteStatista (2025). Number of homicides involving a knife in England and Wales 2008-2024 [Dataset]. https://www.statista.com/statistics/978830/knife-homicides-in-england-and-wales/Dataset updatedFeb 10, 2025Time period coveredApr 1, 2008 - Mar 31, 2024Area coveredEnglandDescriptionIn 2023/24 there were 262 homicides involving a knife or other sharp instrument in England and Wales, compared with 243 in the previous reporting year. During the provided time period, knife homicides have fluctuated from a low of 186 in 2014/15 to the high seen in the 2017/18 reporting year.
Number of knife crime offences in England and Wales 2010-2024
- statista.com
ShareFacebookTwitterEmailClick to copy linkLink copiedCiteStatista, Number of knife crime offences in England and Wales 2010-2024 [Dataset]. https://www.statista.com/statistics/827828/knife-possession-offences-in-england-and-wales/Area coveredEnglandDescriptionIn 2023/24, there were around ****** knife offences recorded in England and Wales, compared with ****** in the previous reporting year.
Knife and offensive weapon sentencing statistics: year ending March 2022
- gov.uk
- s3.amazonaws.com
Updated Aug 18, 2022+ more versionsShareFacebookTwitterEmailClick to copy linkLink copiedCiteMinistry of Justice (2022). Knife and offensive weapon sentencing statistics: year ending March 2022 [Dataset]. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/knife-and-offensive-weapon-sentencing-statistics-year-ending-march-2022Dataset updatedAug 18, 2022AuthorsMinistry of JusticeDescriptionContents
2. Knife and offensive weapon offences overview
5. Sentencing under Sentencing under section 315 of the Sentencing Act 2020
7. Future publications and contact details for any queries or feedback
This publication presents key statistics describing the trends in the number of offenders receiving cautions and convictions for
-
possession of an article with a blade or point
-
possession of an offensive weapon, or
-
threatening with either type of weapon
in England and Wales. Please note that cases still awaiting final decisions are no longer accounted for using estimation methodology. These are generally cases in the latest periods and are now counted as ‘other’ disposals until final decisions are made unless separately specified.
Accompanying files
As well as this bulletin, the following products are published as part of this release:
-
ODS format tables containing data on knife or offensive weapon offences up to the end of March 2022
-
An interactive table tool to look at previous offences involving possession of a blade, point or offensive weapon. The tool provides further breakdowns by gender, police identified ethnicity and prosecuting police force area. The data used in the tool is also included as a separate csv file.
-
An interactive https://moj-analytical-services.github.io/knife_possession_sankey/index.html" class="govuk-link">Sankey diagram looking at outcomes for offenders sentenced for these offences by whether or not they have a previous conviction or caution for possession of a blade, point or offensive weapon; which includes breakdowns by gender, age group and offence type.
This publication covers the period from year ending March 2012 to year ending March 2022. The last two years of this period have been impacted by COVID and the restrictions imposed in response to the pandemic at various points since March 2020, and this should be borne in mind when making comparisons.
Main points
Point Change Commentary The number of knife and offensive weapon offences dealt with by the Criminal Justice System (CJS) has increased after falling in year ending March 2021 but is still lower than before the pandemic. Increase In year ending March 2022 19,555 knife and offensive weapon offences were formally dealt with by the CJS. This is an increase of 5% since year ending March 2021, but is 9% lower than in year ending March 2020 before the start of the pandemic. The proportion of offenders receiving an immediate custodial sentence for a knife and offensive weapon offence decreased to 30% in year ending March 2022. Decrease This had been stable at around 37%-38% between year ending March 2018 and year ending March 2020 but dropped between then and year ending March 2022. In this period there was a corresponding increase in the proportion of offenders receiving a suspended sentence. For 71% of offenders this was their first knife or offensive weapon possession offence. Decrease The proportion of offenders for whom this is their first knife or offensive weapon possession offence has been decreasing over the last decade, from 76% in year ending March 2012 to 71% in year ending March 2022 but has been roughly stable since year ending March 2018. The average custodial sentence received by offenders sentenced under Section 315 of the Sentencing Act 2020 was 7.5 months in year ending March 2022 Increase This increased a little from 7.4 months in year ending March 2021 but was 0.3 months lower than in year ending March 2020 before the pandemic and just below the level seen in March 2018 shortly after the legislation was introduced.</ Crime in England and Wales: Police Force Area data tables
- ons.gov.uk
- cy.ons.gov.uk
xlsxUpdated Apr 24, 2025ShareFacebookTwitterEmailClick to copy linkLink copiedCiteOffice for National Statistics (2025). Crime in England and Wales: Police Force Area data tables [Dataset]. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/policeforceareadatatablesxlsxAvailable download formatsDataset updatedApr 24, 2025LicenseOpen Government Licence 3.0http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
License information was derived automaticallyDescriptionPolice recorded crime figures by Police Force Area and Community Safety Partnership areas (which equate in the majority of instances, to local authorities).
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Historic police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables
- gov.uk
Updated Jan 30, 2025ShareFacebookTwitterEmailClick to copy linkLink copiedCiteHome Office (2025). Historic police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables [Dataset]. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tablesDataset updatedJan 30, 2025Dataset provided byGOV.UKAuthorsHome OfficeDescriptionFor the latest data tables see ‘Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables’.
These historic data tables contain figures up to September 2024 for:
- Police recorded crime
- Crime outcomes
- Transferred/cancelled records (formerly ‘no-crimes’)
- Knife crime
- Firearms
- Hate crime
- Fraud crime
- Rape incidents crime
There are counting rules for recorded crime to help to ensure that crimes are recorded consistently and accurately.
These tables are designed to have many uses. The Home Office would like to hear from any users who have developed applications for these data tables and any suggestions for future releases. Please contact the Crime Analysis team at crimeandpolicestats@homeoffice.gov.uk.
Homicides by method of killing in England and Wales 2024
- statista.com
Updated Jun 25, 2025ShareFacebookTwitterEmailClick to copy linkLink copiedCiteStatista (2025). Homicides by method of killing in England and Wales 2024 [Dataset]. https://www.statista.com/statistics/288166/homicide-method-of-killing-in-england-and-wales-uk/Dataset updatedJun 25, 2025Time period coveredApr 1, 2023 - Mar 31, 2024Area coveredEngland, Wales, United KingdomDescriptionKnives or other sharp objects were involved in ** percent of homicides in England and Wales in 2023/24, the most of any method of killing. Homicides which involved hitting or kicking without a weapon made up **** percent of homicides, while shootings were identified as the method in *** percent of homicides. Overall, there were *** homicides in this reporting year, which was slightly lower than in the previous year, when there were ***, but noticeably higher than in 2014/15, when there were ***. Firearm homicides rare in England and Wales In 2023/24, there were *** knife homicides in England and Wales, compared with *** in 2021/22, which was the highest figure recently. By comparison, homicides which involved the use of a firearm were far less common, with just ** in the 2023/24 reporting year. Due to strict gun laws and low levels of ownership, the UK contrasts starkly with the United States, which has struggled with high levels of gun violence. Although some specialist police officers in England and Wales are licensed to carry firearms, the majority of police officers are unarmed. In 2023/24, for example, there were just ***** armed police, out of around ******* police officers. Overall knife crime on the rise Like many other types of crime, knife crime offences in the ***** started to decline at the start of the decade before creeping up again from 2014 onwards, reaching almost ****** in 2019/20. In London, where much of the media’s attention on knife crime is focused, there were ****** knife crime offences alone in 2019/20. Although this fell during subsequent reporting years, which were influenced by COVID-19 restrictions, it remains to be seen if the trend will continue. In 2023/24, the number of knife offences in the capital was higher than in any other year since 2019/20.
Number of homicides in London 2015-2024
- statista.com
Updated Apr 14, 2025ShareFacebookTwitterEmailClick to copy linkLink copiedCiteStatista (2025). Number of homicides in London 2015-2024 [Dataset]. https://www.statista.com/statistics/862984/murders-in-london/Dataset updatedApr 14, 2025Time period coveredApr 1, 2015 - Mar 31, 2024Area coveredUnited KingdomDescriptionThere were 116 homicides recorded by the police in London in the 2023/24 reporting year, compared with 112 in 2022/23. During this provided time period, 2017/18 had the most homicides in London at 159, with the fewest occurring in 2016/17, when there were 107. Comparisons with the rest of the UK With a homicide rate of 13.1 per million people, London had the highest homicide rate among UK regions in 2023/24. On a more localized level, the Metropolitan Police of Greater London reported a lower homicide rate than other police force areas that cover major cities, such as the West Midlands Police Force, while the highest homicide rate among UK police forces was in Cleveland, in North East England. Across England and Wales as a whole, the number of homicides in 2023/24 was 583, compared with 581 in the previous year. Knives the most common weapon used In 2022/23 there were 244 homicides in England and Wales involving a knife or other sharp instrument. As a comparison, there were just 29 homicides caused by a firearm in the same reporting year. While guns are generally difficult to obtain in the United Kingdom, knives are far more prevalent and have become a major problem for the police, particularly in London. The number of knife crime offences in London rose from 9,752 in 2015/16 to over 15,928 by 2019/20, before falling back recently, to 12,786 in 2022/23. Although 2023/24 saw a return to near pre-pandemic levels, with 15,016 offences.
Knife and Offensive Weapon Sentencing Statistics: 2024
- gov.uk
Updated May 15, 2025ShareFacebookTwitterEmailClick to copy linkLink copiedCiteMinistry of Justice (2025). Knife and Offensive Weapon Sentencing Statistics: 2024 [Dataset]. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/knife-and-offensive-weapon-sentencing-statistics-2024Dataset updatedMay 15, 2025AuthorsMinistry of JusticeDescriptionDetails
This publication presents key statistics describing the trends in the number of offenders In England and Wales receiving cautions and convictions for:
- Possession of an article with a blade or point
- Possession of an offensive weapon, or
- Threatening with either type of weapon
Please note that cases still awaiting final decisions are no longer accounted for using estimation methodology. These are generally cases in the latest periods and are now counted as ‘other’ disposals until final decisions are made unless separately specified.
Accompanying files
As well as this bulletin, the following products are published as part of this release:
- ODS format tables containing data on knife or offensive weapon offences up to December 2024
- An interactive table tool to look at previous offences involving possession of a blade, point or offensive weapon. The tool provides further breakdowns by officer identified sex, police identified ethnicity and prosecuting police force area. The data used in the tool is also included as a separate csv file.
We regularly carry out work to improve our statistics and geography breakdowns, therefore please refer to the latest publication for the most up-to-date figures. The bulletin was produced and handled by the ministry’s analytical professionals and production staff.
Pre-release access
Prior to publication pre-release access of up to 24 hours was granted to the following persons:
Ministry of Justice:
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice; Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – covering sentencing; Permanent Secretary; Minister and Permanent Secretary Private Secretaries (x3); Special Advisors (x2); Director-General Policy: Prisons, Offenders and Analysis; Head of Sentencing Policy; Policy Advisor, Custodial Sentencing Policy Unit; Head of Youth Justice Policy; Deputy Head of News and relevant press officers (x3).
Youth Justice Board:
Senior Communications Manager
Home Office:
Home Secretary; Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Crime and Policing; Minister Private Secretaries (x2), Special Advisors (x2), Policy Advisor, Serious Violence Unit; Head of Media and relevant press officers (x1)
Number of handling offensive weapons crimes Scotland 2002-2024
- statista.com
- ai-chatbox.pro
Updated Jun 30, 2025ShareFacebookTwitterEmailClick to copy linkLink copiedCiteStatista (2025). Number of handling offensive weapons crimes Scotland 2002-2024 [Dataset]. https://www.statista.com/statistics/830251/offensive-weapons-crimes-scotland/Dataset updatedJun 30, 2025Time period coveredApr 1, 2002 - Mar 31, 2024Area coveredScotlandDescriptionThere were 10,835 handling offensive weapon crimes recorded by the police in Scotland between March 2023 and April 2024, a peak for this type of crime during the provided time period.
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Metropolitan Police Service Recorded Crime Figures and Associated Data
- data.europa.eu
- data.wu.ac.at
excel xlsUpdated Oct 30, 2021+ more versionsShareFacebookTwitterEmailClick to copy linkLink copiedCiteLondon Borough of Barnet (2021). Metropolitan Police Service Recorded Crime Figures and Associated Data [Dataset]. https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/metropolitan-police-service-recorded-crime-figures-and-associated-data?locale=lvexcel xlsAvailable download formatsDataset updatedOct 30, 2021Dataset authored and provided byLondon Borough of BarnetLicenseOpen Government Licence 3.0http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
License information was derived automaticallyDescriptionRaw 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.
- c
What Worked? Policy Mobility and the Public Health Approach to Youth...
- datacatalogue.cessda.eu
Updated Nov 29, 2024ShareFacebookTwitterEmailClick to copy linkLink copiedCiteFraser, A. (2024). What Worked? Policy Mobility and the Public Health Approach to Youth Violence, 2021-2023 [Dataset]. http://doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-9255-1Unique identifierhttps://doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-9255-1Dataset updatedNov 29, 2024Dataset provided byUniversity of GlasgowAuthorsFraser, A.Time period coveredJan 1, 2021 - Dec 31, 2023Area coveredScotland, England and WalesVariables measuredIndividuals, NationalMeasurement techniqueFace-to-face interviewDescriptionAbstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
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.
Main Topics:
Knife possession sentencing quarterly brief: July to September 2017
- gov.uk
Updated Dec 14, 2017+ more versionsShareFacebookTwitterEmailClick to copy linkLink copiedCiteMinistry of Justice (2017). Knife possession sentencing quarterly brief: July to September 2017 [Dataset]. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/knife-possession-sentencing-quarterly-brief-july-to-september-2017Dataset updatedDec 14, 2017AuthorsMinistry of JusticeDescriptionThis bulletin presents key statistics describing the trends in the number of knife possession offences receiving cautions and convictions in England and Wales.
This bulletin does not cover all knife crimes (offences involving a knife) as published by the Office for National Statistics.
The information presented combines all three types of knife and weapon possession offences; possession offences of having an article with a blade or point in a public place or on school premises; possession of offensive weapon without lawful authority or reasonable excuse in a public place or on school premises and offences of aggravated possession of a knife or offensive weapon.
Three extra documents accompany this bulletin:
- An interactive table tool showing the criminal history of knife possession offenders, giving breakdowns by gender and ethnic appearance as well as previous offences, disposal, age group and year.
- An interactive https://moj-analytical-services.github.io/knife_possession_sankey/index.html" class="govuk-link">Sankey diagram (a type of flow diagram, in which the width of the arrows is shown proportionally to the number each represents) presenting information on outcomes and criminal history of offenders sentenced or cautioned for a knife possession offence.
- A complete set of tables.
The bulletin is produced and handled by the ministry’s analytical professionals and production staff. Pre-release access of up to 24 hours is granted to the following persons:
Ministry of Justice:
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice; Minister of State for Justice; Permanent Secretary; Minister and Permanent Secretary Private Secretaries (7); Special Advisors (2); Head of Criminal Law & Sentencing Policy Unit; Policy advisor in Criminal Law & Sentencing Policy Unit; Head of Courts and Sentencing - Youth Justice Policy Unit; Senior policy advisor in Youth Sentencing; Head of News and relevant press officers (2).
Home Office:
Home Secretary; Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Vulnerability, Safeguarding and Countering Extremism; Minister Private Secretaries (2); Lead Statistician; relevant press officers (2) and policy lead (2).
Cabinet Office:
Private Secretary to the Prime Minister; Policy Advisors, Justice and Devolution (2)
County Lines Programme data
- gov.uk
Updated Jun 3, 2025ShareFacebookTwitterEmailClick to copy linkLink copiedCiteHome Office (2025). County Lines Programme data [Dataset]. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-offices-county-lines-programme-dataDataset updatedJun 3, 2025AuthorsHome OfficeDescriptionTo deliver our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade and take back our streets, it is crucial that we tackle the gangs that lure children and young people into crime and run county lines through violence and exploitation.
Through the County Lines Programme, we are targeting exploitative drug dealing gangs whilst breaking the organised crime groups behind this trade. It also provides specialist support for children and young people to escape county lines and child criminal exploitation.
This annual data covers line closures, arrests and safeguarding referrals since July 2024.
For an overview of the results of the activity of the County Lines Programme since its launch in November 2019, see the https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/timeline/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-offices-county-lines-programme-data" class="govuk-link">National Archives.
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FacebookTwitterEmailNumber of knife crime offences in London 2015-2024
The number of knife or sharp instrument offences recorded by the police in London rose to approximately 15,016 in 2023/24, compared with 12,786 in the previous year. This was the highest number of knife crime offences reported in London since 2019/20, when there were 15,928 offences. 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 2021/22, 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 41.4 percent of homicides in 2022/23. 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.