Knife crime hit record high before coronavirus lockdown, figures show

Restrictions sparked unprecedented drop in crime, but police warn figures are rising as lockdown eases

The lockdown sparked unprecedented drops in all types of crime apart from domestic abuse and assaults on emergency workers (Getty)

Knife crime hit a record high in England and Wales before the coronavirus lockdown, new figures show.

In the year to March, police recorded more than 46,000 knife offences – up 6 per cent on the previous 12 months.

“The latest year was 51 per cent higher than when comparable recording began in 2011 and is the highest on record,” said a report by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

“Offences involving knives or sharp instruments have been experiencing a rising trend since the year ending March 2014.”

Sarah Jones, the shadow policing minister, warned that although the lockdown caused a fall in violence, “none of the issues that drive violence on our streets have been addressed”.

Homicides rose by 10 per cent to 683, but if the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants who were found in a lorry are excluded, the rise was 3 per cent.

In London alone, killings rose by almost a quarter from 115 to 142 and the number of fatal stabbings went up by 28 per cent.

Across the country, more than a third of murders involved a knife.

Almost half of all knife crimes recorded were robberies, and the ONS said that stabbings and murders were largely concentrated in the capital and other metropolitan areas, such as the West Midlands and West Yorkshire.

In the same period, prosecutions dropped to a new low in England and Wales after falling to just 7 per cent of recorded crimes.

Only 1.4 per cent of rapes were charged, 3.2 per cent of sexual offences, and 7 per cent of violent incidents and robberies.

(ONS (ONS)

A Home Office document said the number of crimes prosecuted fell by almost 34,000 in the year and the most common reason for a case being closed was that no suspects had been identified.

It said there had been a “downward trend” since 2015, when 16 per cent of crimes were prosecuted.

Yvette Cooper, chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, called the figures “very disturbing”.

“Much more needs to be done in communities across the country to match the scale of the problem,” she said.

“It’s also extremely concerning that the number of crimes resulting in a charge or summons has fallen drastically again.

“How can public confidence in the criminal justice system be sustained if fewer crimes are being dealt with and solved each year?”

The Labour MP said the figures were a “consequence of police forces having been overstretched for very many years, and a lack of a clear strategy or sufficient leadership from the Home Office”.

The Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, said the figures showed the “effects of austerity”.

Its chair, John Apter, said: “I have serious concerns about the rise in homicide, knife crime, and robbery.

“It is a tragedy these crimes continue to spiral as my colleagues are stretched to their limits, but with fewer officers available to be out on patrol it comes as no surprise.”

Commenting on separate statistics from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, which showed a 9 per cent fall in people’s experiences of crime, the home secretary called the figures “extremely encouraging”.

“This is a step in the right direction, but there will be no let-up in our relentless pursuit of criminals so that we can deliver justice for victims,” Priti Patel said.

“We are recruiting 20,000 additional officers and giving police the powers and resources they need to keep our communities safe.”

The ONS said the survey is not an accurate measure of higher-harm violence, such as stabbings and murder.

The UK-wide lockdown, which was announced on 23 March, sparked unprecedented drops in all types of crime apart from domestic abuse and assaults on emergency workers.

The ONS said only eight days of lockdown were captured in the statistics, adding: “We do not expect there to have been a significant impact on crime statistics in February 2020 or earlier before restrictions were applied in the country.”

During the lockdown, the National Crime Agency launched the biggest ever clampdown on organised criminals after a secretive phone network used by international gangs was cracked.

Police forces also mounted proactive operations attempting to take weapons off the streets and discourage gang members from returning to lives of crime, but senior officers say offences have started to rise with the easing of restrictions.

London has seen several murders in recent days, including two overnight. A man in his 30s was stabbed to death in Kilburn on Thursday night, hours before another man was fatally stabbed during a fight in Enfield.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Graham McNulty said tackling violence was “the number one priority” for the Metropolitan Police.

“We are determined to maintain our focus in protecting Londoners and ensuring that our streets are safe,” he said.

“These figures reflect a period before the country entered lockdown, and there will be no let-up in our violence suppression work as communities emerge from these restrictions.”

Provisional data released on Thursday by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) shows that overall crime in the month to 5 July was 14 per cent lower than the same period last year.

By the same comparison, the figure was 28 per cent lower in the month to 12 April, but the gap has narrowed as restrictions have eased.

The NPCC said there were significant falls in rape, assault, residential burglary, robbery and vehicle crime, as well as fewer calls to 999 and 101.

However, provisional data shows a 6 per cent rise in domestic abuse incidents year on year, and a 5 per cent increase in incidents relating to mental health.

“This may be down to people believing they are not able to access the mental health services they would normally use due to the coronavirus pandemic,” the NPCC said.

Its lead for crime, Chief Constable Andy Cooke, urged people to continue reporting offences and seeking support.

“We are seeing signs that the previous rates of reduction in rapes are now slowing, which suggests we may soon be returning to 2019 levels,” he said.

“This is likely to be a combination of increased opportunities for wider social contact and easing of restrictions, making it easier for victims to report rape and assault.

“The rise in domestic abuse incidents may reflect the changing landscape of lockdown measures, with more reporting possible as people are able to leave their homes with greater freedom.”