PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: Recorded knife crime offences in England and Wales are now on the rise following a decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic.
👥 Who’s Involved: Police forces across England and Wales, with London’s Metropolitan Police recording the highest number of cases.
📍 Where & When: The data pertains to England and Wales in the year 2024, annual figures released by the government’s Office for National Statistics (ONS).
💬 Key Quote: Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson claims the leftist Labour government “will not tolerate the criminality blighting our communities.”
⚠️ Impact: The crime rise may impact the fortunes of Labour and the formerly governing Conservatives in May’s local elections, with Nigel Farage’s Reform Party already outpolling them regularly.
IN FULL:
Knife crime is rising in England and Wales. In 2024, an estimated 54,587 knife crime incidents were reported, an increase of two percent from the previous year’s 53,413 cases. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released the new stats this week.
Robberies with knives or sharp objects rose by five percent, reaching 23,305 cases, an increase from 2023’s number of 22,189. Threats to kill using knives saw a modest increase, rising three percent from 5,797 in 2023 to 5,979 in 2024. The offences categorized as “possession of an article with a blade or point” have also shown a rise, with 28,150 reported in 2024 compared to the previous year’s 27,892, significantly higher than the pre-pandemic count of 23,264 in 2019/20.
A regional breakdown of the data shows London‘s Metropolitan Police accounted for 31 percent of the total offenses, with a rate of 188 per 100,000 individuals. West Midlands Police followed with a nine percent share, Greater Manchester Police at six percent, and West Yorkshire Police at four percent.
Personal thefts also substantially increased in England and Wales in 2024, up 22 percent compared to 2023. The survey highlighted a 50 percent rise in theft from the person, including mobile phone thefts, and a 19 percent rise in theft from outside residences.
Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson has reacted to the increases in crime, claiming the leftist Labour government “will not tolerate the criminality blighting our communities.”