UPDATE: According to official statistics¹³⁴⁵, there were around 45,000 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument recorded by the police in England and Wales (excluding Greater Manchester Police Force) in the year ending March 2022.

This was a 16% increase from the previous year⁴. There were also 300 murders involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales in the same period⁵, which was the highest total since 1946.

The Guardian² reports that knife crime has continued to rise in 2023, with several fatal stabbings occurring in London and other parts of the country.

___________________________

Source: Conversation with Bing, 05/03/2023:

(1) Knife crime in England and Wales for 2020 by ethnicity. https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/transparencyandgovernance/freedomofinformationfoi/knifecrimeinenglandandwalesfor2020byethnicity Accessed 05/03/2023.

(2) Knife crime statistics - House of Commons Library. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn04304/ Accessed 05/03/2023.

(3) Knife and Offensive Weapon Sentencing Statistics: April to ... - GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/knife-and-offensive-weapon-sentencing-statistics-april-to-june-2022 Accessed 05/03/2023.

(4) Knife Crime Statistics | The Ben Kinsella Trust. https://benkinsella.org.uk/knife-crime-statistics/ Accessed 05/03/2023.

(5) Knife crime | UK news | The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/uk/knifecrime Accessed 05/03/2023.

EVER-rising march of violent death by knives + guns across the UK

I WONDER how long the British public will tolerate ineffective work to prevent 1000s and 1000s of people trying to kill each other in the nation's towns and cities.

Numbers of knife crimes have reached 40,000 - although if you read back through my various knife crime statistics analyses, you'll be left thinking that, in truth, no-one knows how many people are stabbing each other.

Why not save effort, time + money and just trot out the word 'thousands' every quarter?

Back in 2013, public data claimed about 22,000 blade attacks that year. Before that I reported national media stories quoted knife crime stats at 30,000. It seemed knife crime was dropping earlier this decade.

Now it's soaring (again) to record levels, a most tragic state of affairs of the highest order.

It's got to a point where it's not possible to understand if anything has helped or hindered the tackling of knife crime.

It does seem a baffling smoke screen is thrown up by public authorities (avoiding accountability).

Can you remember in recent times anything specific that's worked to reduce knife crime? Have any public group or senior figures cared enough to deploy resources of any substance?

Under-funded voluntary education programmes, youth work, protests and awareness work by many grieving families, friends, campaigners. Much anti-violence work doesn't seem to be making the progress longed for.

Roots of the malaise, this scourge, run deeper it seems than crying, shouting or speaking to others about 'a problem' to solve.

Whatever, it is reasonable to observe that the public is becoming increasingly fearful of walking about (some) UK streets. At the same time, police numbers are at a record low. The two must be connected.

Knife and firearms crimes now up to c.34,000

TERRIBLE to record that knife and gun crimes are continuing to grow each year - latest data shows increases by more than 10% (28,664) and 4% (5,127) respectively.

Public authorities appear complacent where the former Home Office minister and now PM Theresa May is saying nothing, and the ONS (Office for National Statistics) apparently tries to gloss over the situation by stating longer term figures 'look better when compared to 2011 data'.

Fears about the current rise in violent crime are not calmed by reference back to statistics from a few years ago. Just as the ONS state there are current issues and anomalies with data collection, past figures could be inaccurate too.

The trend in England and Wales is upward, and has been for about two years at least - so what is being done about it?

One quote from a minister at the Justice department states people carrying knives can expect a custodial sentence; little other information indicates authorities are developing effective solutions.

London has committed £400k to projects across the capital - but national impetus seems to lack coordination and drive.

Knife crimes statistics in various regions of the country

Media coverage tends to focus on lack of measures to solve the problem, citing cuts in police numbers on the street leading to more violence in the country:

• Theresa May has questions to answer as violent crimes rise
• Deadly knife crimes skyrocket across Britain
• String of violent riots / attacks across London

Campaigning mum Theresa Cave, whose son Chris was killed in a knife attack, is a regular visitor to schools with an anti-knife programme called POINT7.

She said: "I think education and deterrents are the answer, as well as stricter laws that fit the crime. Until examples are made of criminals then it will unfortunately continue to get worse."

New PM Theresa May: Stance on knife crime

THERESA May is the new UK Prime Minister, so I just thought to take a look at her record on knife crime.

May has had a strong focus on changing policing (and I remember well her recent response on criticisms of policing during the Hillsborough travesty and subsequent cover-up at taxpayers expense).

She doesn't seem to think Tory or British politics might be at fault, deciding to give the Met Police a hard time about their public 'excuses' for what's causing rises in knife and other violent crime.

It's a complicated issue; interesting to read then this Telegraph article here where May says police knife crime claims are untrue. 

I've tweeted Government ministers, politicians and others over the past few months about the alarming rise in knife crime with little acknowledgement about how this is being tackled. Can't help feeling, in terms familiar to Christians like Theresa May, that my voice and that of other victims has been a 'voice crying in the wilderness' of British society, police and politics.

No doubt any movement down on knife crime statistics will be lauded by politicians as success of their policies, and the police could claim success too. Can we expect more silence if no improvement happens or things get worse so that UK streets become more dangerous? Probably - unless the Press and public figures can raise the temperature.

I noticed too that knife crime campaigners calls for better retail controls are being implemented, signalled by Theresa May at the Home Office’s International Crime and Policing Conference in March this year. This is good news... established business and ruling powers have listened to common sense.

I remember raising the retail issue on this blog way back in 2006 when a killer went to a local shop in my home city Chichester, spotted some deadly knives on sale and bought a huge hunting blade unchecked before going on to fatally stab Mcdonalds supervisor Jackie Marshall. It's 10 years since Jackie's killing but pleasing to see some real change for the better here.

Considering the above, I think the anti-knife crime movement is working. We are toiling away to try to make society safer and we seem to be making progress, although that progress is slower than we'd like.

Latest knife crime and violence figures:

Increases since Sept 2015 - homicides are up 11% (573 murders, an increase of 56) and offences involving knives and sharp instruments have increased by 9% to 28,008.

UK rise in violent crime over recent years

Please, join our work... Join the conversations and events you see online or offline about tackling this scourge of UK society and you will be joining the anti-knife - and anti-gun - crime campaigners... We are a force for good.

KNIFE crime statistics - latest data of 2016

MEDIA and political coverage of the steady increase in violent crime including murders and knife crime - now up to 28,000-plus attacks and threats per year - is, frankly, risible.

Why is there not more concern?

Anyone in their right mind wants to stay safe, not be set upon by some violent thug or gang member. So why little focus and louder protests in the public arena trying to stop this? Bizarre.

Homicides are up 11% (573 murders, an increase of 56) and offences involving knives and sharp instruments have increased from Sept 2015 by 9% to 28,008.

Just look at this long list of knife crimes carried by the Mirror online edition.

The Office for National Statistics state there is "anecdotal evidence" - or perhaps a more accurate term is 'hearsay' - that "a tightening of recording procedures" may account for this steady increase for the reporting year ending December 2015 - read report.

Are you not very worried...?

I am.

That's why I'm currently planning a major fundraising drive later this year - the 3 Peaks Challenge - to try to stop sickening people committing knife crimes that are sickening and distressing.

Money raised from climbing the 3 highest peaks in the UK (Scafell Pike, Snowdon and Ben Nevis) will go towards knife crime education especially of young people.

There is no future carrying and using a knife. Death, prison, punishment and pain are just some of the awful consequences.

I'm raising money for The Ben Kinsella Trust. More details can be found at my Virgin Giving site - please don't hesitate - donate to educate... and stop this menace, this scourge.

#3PeaksForBen - The Ben Kinsella Trust are fundraising by climbing UK mountains 

Please support the fundraising. This is about saving lives - stopping knife crime is not easy, just like climbing mountains... it's a marathon not a sprint. Every little helps though. Join the group from The Ben Kinsella Trust on our mountain journey, support us - thanks.

England + Wales trend: Less violence than rest of the world

TO BE AWARE crime in England and Wales shows a trend of non-violence should be considered encouraging for anti-knife crime work.

With all crime at the lowest levels for about 30 years, the non-violence trend brings real hope that campaigners can make much progress to further reduce crimes carried out with sharp instruments - where knife crime figures are circa 26,000+ per year at present.

The trend I highlight is connected to robberies. Robberies account for about 1% of recorded crime while burglaries register 24%. In the USA, while burglaries still outnumber robberies, the proportion of robberies in the crime total is 4x higher.

And how does the tally look for murders on this island of ours, the most serious of crimes? In fact, there is less chance of being murdered in England than most other industrialised societies, according to official figures. (I've flagged this in previous posts, some of you may recall.)

The English murder rate is below that for Japan, less than half that for Germany or France, an eighth of the rate for Scotland or Italy and 26x lower than the United States.

It seems this island of ours has more respect for one another than the citizens of many other countries spread across this fragile planet of ours.

I came across this analysis in Jeremy Paxman's book, The English.  His figure for numbers of robberies is perhaps misleading where the 'Violence against the person' figure (from the Office for National Statistics - ONS - website) is far higher - but the fact there is an obvious trend against violence in this country versus other nations is, as I said, hopeful.

Also notable is the type of Englishman (it's almost always a male!) Paxman highlights as prone to violence... someone like a football hooligan.

Paxman describes one incident where the Swiss had held England to a 1-1 draw in a European Championship match. The Swiss fans were good natured and relatively quiet and unthreatening.

However, at one point outside Wembley, a young shaven headed Englishman eyeballed the Swiss on the other side of the street, ran across the road, shoved his face six inches from one of the young Swiss men in the crowd and screamed 'Wanker' at him.

The Swiss look baffled. The Englishman gesticulated, moving his hand up and down. 'You wanker!' he screamed again, drew back his fist, punched the man in the face and walked through the crowd. 

His walk was casual, cocky, slow enough to invite someone to retaliate for their friend's injury - he was now doubled up, with blood pouring from his nose. But none came, and the thug swaggered off down the pavement, doubtless eager to tell his friends he'd 'done' one of the visiting fans.

Apparently, this is how part of the English population has always been. Fighting (and drunkenness) is considered to be a birthright, maybe. I certainly remember a few from my school days - and those older thugs from the odd Pompey match I had seen (of 657 Crew infamy) and plenty of documentaries on football hooliganism (e.g. Millwall and Chelsea types immediately come to mind).

I can't help thinking that this football fighter caricature applies to those idiots who use weapons. It is a way for these louts / yobs to proclaim their identity; these are the targets to reach. 

As time goes by, I can see that this anti-violence campaign work is not unlike an analogy with the Egyptians of old... an influential nationwide campaign and movement is being built, stone by stone, that deserves to see a remarkable monument (Pyramid) completed to mark a more peaceful nation and world... one day. I would like to predict this is achieved sooner rather than later.

Why won't knife crime stats go down? Who STILL wants to stab people?

LIKE many of us presumably, I find it difficult to understand knife crime figures are rising when overall crime is down. Who is out there in Britain still deciding to carry a knife... despite years of anti-knife campaigning work across our nation? Why do they choose to carry arms, carry weapons... WHY?

Some 250 people are now stabbed every week in Britain, according to official figures just released. Numbers of police on our streets have been reduced by 1 in 7 in recent years so a knife crime rise could be connected to that.

Or maybe it's a propaganda-type trick. Authorities report the numbers are up so there's an argument for there to be a 'legitmate' clampdown and targeting by police 'hit squads' on knife carriers.

Crime across the country has dropped except for knife crime, apparently. Is there a balance being struck between the cost of policing, winning hearts and minds with community work and communications, bringing down crime levels - and not having them go up again?

BBC News: July 2015: Latest crime stats released for 2014/15

It is one of those remarkable coincidences, as noted by my previous analysis work over the years reported in this blog, that another general election is over and something odd is notable again in the crime figures. I wonder what figures issued by public authorities can be trusted.

But putting that bigger issue to one side (and that's difficult to do, quite frankly), the moral argument to go after knife carriers on UK streets is unimpeachable.

With knife-related crime stats showing a stubborn trend to not go down from, say, 25,000-ish, tough action to combat this evil, cowardly activity in our green and pleasant land - and pot-holed, dirty and badly-kept urban streets - must be pursued.

Better to remove knives from the carriers than suffer the human cost of dead and injured victims, surely? Ditto guns, other weapons, terrorism etc.

Tragically, many of us will have seen the news this week evidencing the clearest example of the knife crime problem... cyclist Don Lock - a fit, active and much-loved 79-year-old grandfather - was killed by a 'mindless' knife carrier in a reported road rage incident near Worthing in West Sussex. Apparently, the killer was a man aged 34 (police are shown arresting the male suspect below, from the Daily Mirror). How to get knives out of the hands of such men and women? How??

See full story on Mirror website

Knife crime statistics up to Sept 2014 (official release Jan 2015)

KNIFE crime data is back in the news this week; annual figures up to September 2014 have been reported into the public domain. I've made a little time to update my look at the latest statistics release.

First, some initial interpretation of the recorded knife crime stats...

As per my previous assessments, the trend of selected offences committed with knives and other sharp instruments continues to drop, but only slightly; the figures Sept 2013 to Sept 2014 are down 2% on the previous year to 25,721 (knife crime in 2010 was reported as 32,890).

Statistically, is that assessment accurate? Well, there looks to have been a decent downward trend since 2010. A trend of this nature should be a good sign, although it's natural to query the coincidence of the data being downward since the general election in 2010; politicians are wanting to keep their quite comfortable jobs in this year's election and will be keen to demonstrate they've brought down crime figures.

So, to repeat, with an election looming, the topline of this knife crime report implies there has been a downward trend - but look more closely and we see police-recorded crime has not fallen. No change is reported for police recorded crime, with rape and sexual offences at highest levels since the early 2000s (maybe political and organisational reasons for the police trend here).

So, now I'm going to briefly consider how that data is reported this time compared to one of my previous assessments...

To show you how our public officials have a highly dubious record tackling crime and have had a poor grasp of crime figures in the past, let me shine a chink of a spotlight on what they seem to have been doing in the past couple of years with the crime figures:

Knife crime statistics April 2011 to March 2013

Why publish a couple of years data here in 2013- where's the meaningful, accurate data? Were officials being 'economical' with the figures prior to this point? Poor or changing systems of statistical management by civil servants and politicians in the past is my educated reflection.

Knife crime statistics April 2010 to Sept 2014 (GE = General Election in 2010)

Now (above), the latest crime report shows data stretching back to 2010 - but no earlier than that published here. It begs the question... why was there so much reticence to show a clear picture of past crime data? Poor counting of crime date and too many 'leaders' with their reputations, jobs and/or salaries at risk, I suggest. I make that allegation because people have been regularly dying from stabbings and other murders and killings - and still are - as a result of 'Whitehall fiddling with figures', an apparent mis-management and lack of accurate crime information which should have always been available to the public.

It is saddening how crime figures have been poorly tracked in the past - and it has undoubtedly been a tragic lapse... fatally so. My point continues to be that without decent statistical data measuring the crime problems, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to manage solutions to crime. Without reasonable data, it is also easy for all manner of careerist politicians, civil servants and police forces to avoid responsibility for their poor activity to prevent crime, especially saving people's lives. Blood on their hands, it seems.

Does this sound unlikely? All those people paid vast amounts more salary than the majority wouldn't have made such mistakes over so many years would they? I'm not going to go into this further at this point other than state just two examples - Hillsborough and MPs expenses scandal. Huge failures there, mirrored often throughout our public service systems, it seems.

NB: I'm doing this assessment late on a Saturday evening on my own, so no-one else is working with me to check my conclusions; this is because I do this in my free time, voluntarily, in support of knife crime victims, their friends and families, and also other victims and circles adversely affected by all forms of violence. You may notice I am highly sceptical of actions of public servants paid by taxpayers to solve these problems. I believe this approach is necessary, borne out by the too frequent poor running of government.

I'm always open to offers of assistance running this blog because my spare time is not huge. Tonight isn't too bad - I'm just finishing this listening to MTV and Mark Ronson's Uptown Funk to keep me going. Onwards...

Knife crime data source for this article:

Statistical bulletin: Crime in England and Wales, Year Ending September 2014 - Crime Offences involving knives and sharp instruments (released January 2015)

Knife and violent crime statistics for 2013 under the spotlight

IT IS CLAIMED the total number of crimes in the UK has fallen - and knife crime is said to have fallen about 15 per cent.

Total annual crime statistics for England and Wales show an 8% drop in police figures to 3.7 million and a 5% reduction in official crime survey data to 8.9 million crimes (allegedly the more reliable statistic according to civil servants, based on surveying 40k people about their experience of crime).

Sounds good? Well, politically, this has been hailed as good news (not least because it is claimed this is the lowest level since the crime survey began in 1981)... but - as this blog has highlighted regularly - a clearer understanding of the figures seems to still be required. And it would be helpful to get to the bottom of any hocus-pocus, jiggery-pokery going on by those compiling and publicising the data.

I have frequently cited the relative poor state of British crime reporting over the years since this anti-knife crime blog was started and confidence remains low when observing congratulatory, political back-thumping reports of such a large dip in crime this year, 2013, when in fact some infamous spin is apparently going on, making the truth difficult to discern.

Why, more precisely, is that? Because the published figures for many years seem to have been inconsistent. I don't fully understand why - maybe it's how they are communicated (by spin from government comms) or how they have been reported by the Press. Also, ways of reporting by the government have changed.

It is hardly surprising Whitehall is always keen to try to indicate crime is falling, or near to falling, whatever the truth actually is. This is not a cynical view but, in fact, a real observation... it is obvious as a general trend year after year (which, to be honest, I'd not noticed or looked out for in the past, not thinking our political masters would be that devious).

If anyone checks my 'knife crime statistics research' or in the right column (tag cloud) of this blog, it seems clear something odd has been going on with the crime figures year after year... at least the way figures are trotted out for public consumption. Spin is evident and journalists should more rigorously check and question data they get given. Under too great a pressure to deliver too much instant copy to 24-hour news deadlines (under-resourced newsrooms too), it is likely unscrupulous government comms people deliberately make it difficult for journos to see the (crime data) wood from the (crime data) trees.

However, one truth looks crystal clear... yet again no-one is directly accountable for knife crimes... many thousands of them. That is awful - no-one directly accountable for thousands of knife crimes. No-one we can go to and say: "How have you planned and delivered actions to reduce knife crime?" and observe a clear, well articulated, reasoned strategy clearly explained.

This should be unacceptable to those elected to solve these problems at about £70k a year per MP (that's a minimum salary, I think, nowadays). And what about the civil servants and police officers similarly charged... sheesh, I don't know what the answer is, but something is still way wrong.

The government and police cannot rightly claim they are positively affecting crime with data that is inconsistent (or what is better described as 'all over the place') year after year. It seems an undeniable truth that they may barely be believed - which is not a good place to be, law and order-wise.

Evidence I have accumulated via this blog is sufficient to starkly show the easy way the Media can be fooled to print what a propagandist, buck-shifting government (and police forces) can conspire to do, however they or civil servants dress it up.

When these annual crime statistics were published last year, I spent a great deal of time locating official figures for knife / sharp instrument crimes. That figure, published at the time, was 22,151 (this was a police figure - ONS figures weren't available at that time, according to my research). You can see the crime research last year that I did on this blog.

Now, the figure is hugely higher (not lower) at 26,336 (and this was presented as a drop from 31,147 in 2012). Next year, I wonder if we'll get (surprise, surprise) a drop again (closer to the 22,151) when due to, say, poorer social and economic conditions due to recessionary times, the figure has in fact been rising.

Any decent tax-paying, law-abiding citizen would be very concerned to see government and statisticians 'stuffing the pipeline' in this way... conveniently, the data is confusing at a time when it's 'opportune' for governments and careerist politicians to hide behind such confusion to disguise little progress - and then, worse, present data as good news.

Really, what goes on with this data? A more sceptical and studied consideration of the statistics seems required. Where are the government and police getting their figures from? Perhaps an independent audit is called for.

A note of caution too: it is concerning to observe pick pocketing and street thefts from individuals has gone up. One can't help thinking that the criminals who commit these crimes are a hair's breadth away from reaching for that pen knife - or other dagger - in their pocket and deciding to break the law and terrify, injure, traumatise - or kill - innocent victims.

So, while there are pats on the back about an alleged reduction in knife and some other crimes, it is important to appreciate the problems are not solved... they aren't by a long way... 3.7m or 8.9m crimes across the nation is not a figure to be proud of, neither is 26,336 knife crimes.  The anti-knife crime campaigning must continue - such a level of knife attacks are too high for comfort from anyone's reasonable assessment of the UK crime environment.

It looks like a central repository for crime data is now easily visible and transparent to the public. If this stays, and governments don't change the goalposts for political or electoral convenience, we might be able to clearly monitor crime statistics, see how they move and have our rulers / governors be accountable for how they are focusing on reducing what still are horrendous figures of crime in this country.

And I go back to my reasonable point that there should be a target to reduce knife and violent crime - and all those working on that project be aligned and communicate progress on a monthly or quarterly basis to the nation at large. With such an approach, we may see the start of a focal point for the bereaved and injured to feel involved with, and to affect improvement in a safer society. As ever, we live in hope.

Knife crime reports and data sources for this blog post, referenced July 2013:

• UK crime at lowest level for 30 years - The Guardian
• The curious case of the fall in crime - The Economist
• Over 1000 London knife crime victims each month - Evening Standard
• Crime in England + Wales year ending March 2013 - ONS (Office for National Statistics)

Knife crime stats April 2013 - and who's now fixing the problem?

WHERE is clear progress being made by the authorities reducing knife crime injuries and murders? There still seems little consistently visible progress and evidential data to benchmark and measure progress tackling this and other violent crimes.

Where is the co-ordinated national platform to solve this problem - with clear goals? Where on earth is it?

Seems to me politicians, the police and civil service are not being held accountable enough on providing transparent visibility to the general populace - and the electorate - on this aspect of crime reduction. What do they get paid for, I often wonder?

The media seem to have gone off the boil on it too; they too aren't perhaps clearly focused on the issue at present - because of the many distractions and problems of life out there I expect. But distraction on this issue costs lives, so who can step up to provide better focus?

Looking at various figures on the web, the best data work is being done by The Guardian online news service it seems but even that appears to not be reporting use of knives in recent months.

As far as I can tell, these are the latest knife crime statistics: Police recorded 22,151 knife offences last year (2012) in England and Wales, including grievous bodily harm, attempted murder, woundings and robbery. But official data isn't published yet I understood - at least it's not on the ONS national statistics site here: UK-crime-stats

And I can't see comparable national crime data for year ending 2011 (or further back), which seems odd as well as not at all transparent. These important figures should be clear... crystal clear.

You can track more detail on this blog about analysis of knife crime statistics over the past few years - and meantime, here's a reasonable current chart from The Guardian showing connected knife / sharp weapon killings data:

This is a matter of great public concern where knives / sharp instrument are by far the greatest cause of injury and death in the UK, yet concerted, co-ordinated targeting is not happening around this most grave of issues.

All I can see from highly-paid politicians and their parties is what comes across as PR spin (that sticks in the throat at times) to indicate they are trying to do 'something'. Well, to my mind, that isn't good enough - it's not focused, it's not precise and there is no accountability. It's just too easy to have it move to the back of minds, back of the queue, and for paid public servants to be 'too busy' elsewhere... (learning to be more honest doing expense forms perhaps, or placing a Thatcher funeral ahead of saving lives?). Depends on your sense of priorities perhaps (or self-importance?).

Anyway, I don't mean to gripe or snipe; it's simply very frustrating to see national control of this issue has dwindled not improved since I last took a closer look at knife crime statistics.

Examining knife crime facts in the UK for solutions - part 2

MOST of this millennium, Government data from the Home Office couldn't tell anyone much about knife crime. Thank goodness this is changing... hopefully.

But as recently as 2008, it was the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown who tried to respond to a rising sense of alarm by holding a knife crime summit while not in full possession of the facts, and David Cameron, Tory opposition party leader as he then was, who described knife crime as an epidemic and Britain as a broken society.

Both politicians were inaccurate to a great extent - or, assuming some public manipulation, do we say 'economic with the truth' - to try to make some political capital, as well as make a bit of real progress maybe, if lucky, from a time of public alarm.

Political leopards don't change their spots, it seems, and here was a classic case. At the time, Gordon Brown's team decided to use NHS statistics - which counted patients discharged from hospital with stab wounds - and claim there had been a 27% drop in numbers of stab victims. Unfortunately, hospitals hadn't finished counting the stab victims and they told the PM so. 

British politics and politicians - and civil servants + the media too - never cease to amaze me at these times with demonstrative unprofessionalism and seeming lack of realism. In this instance they went ahead and published these figures, effectively perpetuating a false myth (and dare I say using infamous spin) by announcing misleading data... and thus causing immense consternation to many, once again, about the way our governing masters operate. These figures did in fact prove to be inaccurate - yet 'don't let the truth get in the way of a good story', eh?

If you can't trust those paid and working full-time to be looking out for the British population's interests, who can you trust? And that's one of the reasons why victims of crime, knife crime or any other, find it so hard to get peace after the death of loved ones... because those supposed to represent them right up to the highest level have too often been shown up to not be in charge of their brief, not effectively helping or supporting them, innocent victims of loved ones violent deaths. Communications between victims and the powers-that-be at these times can often be relatively poor, perhaps mainly due to the immense grief, pain and mourning experienced.

Maybe I'm a little hard on these well-paid bureaucrats? You tell me. 

To be fair on those who have worked for knife crime reductions, knifings apparently dropped about 8% in 2008, probably with police attention and the huge focus and attention at the time given by knife and violent crime campaigners including this blog to make a difference.

From the above, the political process has been shown to be a real detriment to best solving problems in this country. Party politicians, keen to show they are better at law and order than the others, squabble over semantics in the public arena rather than focus time and public resources on solutions.

How much more helpful it would be to have a target to reduce knife and violent crime and all those working on that project aligned and communicating progress on a monthly or quarterly basis to the nation at large. There you would be better able to see the start of a focal point for the bereaved and injured to feel involved, and to affect positive change too possibly.

But no, that's not evident; political and media noise distorts the situation, no-one steps up to be accountable in case of failure, and everyone wonders what exactly is the true picture, who is working on the solution, how solutions will be enacted etc.

Knife crime statistics are still 'challenging' to understand. It is reprehensible of politicians and government that, with blades and other stabbing implements responsible for the largest share of killings, official crime statistics have not ever included a category for knives, right up to the end of the last millennium... How on earth do you overlook this during all that time? Because no-one has truly been accountable - and that must be a failure of government, police and civil servant management, and taxes must have been wasted without that accountability. This must be a fact, else matters would be better run and communicated.

One would feel more confident in our ruling classes if they were in command of the crime brief - but here is yet another example of these people demonstrating, as they frequently do, a high level of amateurish-ness and lack of accountability with regard to understanding and solving crime affecting the nation. It is clear that government departments, political parties and the police are not well informed and connected on issues far too often. Perhaps it keeps them in a job to run things this way? Perish the thought.

I mentioned in part 1 of this mini-essay that in the book 'Britain etc', the journalist Mark Easton (Home Editor at the BBC) reports... "As a rough average, two people are murdered every day in Britain. The most common weapon used is a blade or other sharp instrument. The most likely stab victim is a young man." In fact, a third of all murders are caused by some kind of blade or other stabbing implement.

Ffs - however you might try to rationalise it, that is terrible (although still one of the lowest killing rates recorded in the UK since medieval records were kept apparently - and lower than many other countries in the world today too).

As indicated in Easton's research, after Labour's PM Gordon Brown set up the Tackling Knives Action Programme (TKAP) in 2008, it was quietly buried less than a year following its formation and the authorities went back, once again, to measuring only the broad category of 'violent crime'.

But then with so many other problems in the country and world, perhaps it's not surprising that time and attention on one ill is not apparently as available (as, say, for war, foreign aid or the Olympics). And can you really knock politicians when they demonstrate natural human concern to solve such a problem?

Well, it's not about knocking them - it's about the fact they are paid full-time to solve this and other important problems. What's their plan? What is being measured regularly to check progress - and how is that effectively communicated so people know it's being done? Where is the accountability?

What do we pay our politicians and civil servants to do? Or rather, where are our taxes going if not to provide clear solutions, providing us with regular evidence that progress is being made? Much of the buck around this must stop with them.

And that completes part 2 of this blog's series looking more closely at how to solve knife crime in this country - and possibly the world. Next time, I'll look at the poverty factor causes knife crime problems and how young people are demonised in Britain leading to misbehaviour and illegal carrying and use of knives.

Solutions to the knife crime menace in the UK: part 1

WHAT progress has been made tackling knife crime in the years since this blog started? I've taken a little time out to reflect on the situation over the summer holidays... hope these reflections and evaluations prove useful.

In the book 'Britain etc', the journalist Mark Easton (Home Editor at the BBC) reports a stark but simple truth about the latest knife crime facts: "As a rough average, two people are murdered every day in Britain. The most common weapon used is a blade or other sharp instrument. The most likely stab victim is a young man." In fact, a third of all murders are caused by some kind of blade or other stabbing implement.

So, in a very clear way, that brings us right up to date with the knife crime statistics - and very terrible they are too.

So, more reflectively, my first blog post was published a few months after the fatal stabbing of Jacky Marshall, a supervisor in a McDonalds restaurant at Chichester, West Sussex, England, on a Saturday lunchtime in April 2005 when children's fun and parties were in full swing.

I was a witness who went to try to help the victim, cradling a fatally injured Jacky in my arms as her life ebbed away. It was most devastating to her family and traumatising for many, not least this anti-knife crime blog writer. The Crown's case against the killer Shane Freer was not yet begun and I had decided to try to make a difference to the wider national debate and deliberations about knife crime by starting a blog that provided focus on forming solutions and gave some kind of coherent outlet for the outpourings and anguish of those affected by this scourge of the nation.

At that time I recall an undercurrent of awareness about quite frequent knife attacks and a powerlessness to address what was sensed as a kind of invisible evil. Media attention was certainly less attentive and highly reactive. High profile cases, for example the horrendous deaths of Stephen Lawrence, Damilola Taylor and Ben Kinsella, expressed national as well as local outrage - but there was possibly not the highest appropriate focus on addressing the depraved violence that was, and continues to be, a sickening hallmark of all knife crime across the nation - and of course mostly any kind of violent attack.

The parents of Stephen Lawrence parents pursued justice for their slaughtered son pretty much all the time this blog has run - see Stephen's timeline for justice. Similarly, the parents of Damilola Taylor have campaigned for solutions to problems in inner city communities (see the Damilola Taylor trust website). And then there was the Kinsella family campaigning and the formation of The Ben Kinsella Trust, led by his actress sister Brooke.

In addition to these, there are the many other victims, equally innocent and no less deserving of public attention. Pictures of many (from London) can be seen on this knife crime blog post.

And so, where are we now - really?

I've observed many groups and families affected by such crime; as well as obvious grief and a desire for comfort, they search I've noticed (sometimes unconsciously) for some kind of focal point to best channel their grief to solve the devastation of a killing that has afflicted their lives and lives of friends, relatives and of people within their local communities. They look for some kind of societal and national unity, some kind of common group, banner or standard to rally around. With this, families and friends of victims across the country - perhaps the world - would feel they can make better progress together to deter aggressive, violent, weapon-carrying behaviour. 

I've observed Government clumsily offering a little solace and resource to help. I've seen too that Government, as in many other areas, fail to properly measure, better understand and communicate about the violence issue. And yet, obviously, Government is full of people with concern and good intentions.

So how to stop the killing, the maiming with blades - or indeed with any weapon? How much closer is a solution, or achieving synergy across a variety of suggested solutions and initiatives?

My view is there is now much greater understanding about where solutions could be found. More research and knowledge about the causes of knife crime are available. But I think many campaigners and communities need to work out how to arrive at solutions more quickly. That's not a criticism; it's more about moving towards the common goal of eliminating knife crime, as much as possible, in parallel with all other campaigning. Possibly greater leadership is needed to bring all this together, perhaps more objective leaders who can help bring together all those different anti-violence initiatives, groups and individuals, and national + local officials.

Look for areas where significant differences can be made. For example, most murders are 'male-on-male', confrontational or grudge/revenge killings. 

Confrontational might typically be about a couple of alcohol-fuelled lads not intent on killing the other (initially). So reducing fights and alcohol use on Saturday nights makes sense with many police and pub security staff always involved here providing deterrents most weekends. (More killings occur on Saturdays than Mondays!) If only young men would drink more responsibly, then our streets and drinking holes would not be so fearsome at nights.

Grudge killings however tend to be premeditated and weapons are carried to the scene, frequently linked to gangs with boys and teenaged men aged 10 to 19. Some 13% of these 'gangsters' have carried knives in the previous year, according to research. Killings happen due to being 'dissed' - disrespected, disparaged, or simply feeling treated with such contempt. 

These people really need to 'grow up' in this tough, modern world, take some personal responsibility for their lives and actions - but they can't seem to deal with 'tough' - they prefer silencing problems with weapons; it seems an easier solution.

But you can't say that to them perhaps... it would be likely to make things worse.

And of course, what this country's business and political leaders offer as an alternative to aggressive weapon-carriers doesn't appear that appealing or palatable i.e. hard work with no guarantee of decent wages, pension, reasonable prices, decent home, affordable taxes etc. And not forgetting corrupt banks, greedy psychopathic corporations, bullying workplaces and the like. And not forgetting too, research tells us, the 'dog-eat-dog' work environment as dictated by business, political and local leaders, especially in the UK. It's a world many do not want, do not want to participate in (especially young men). There's little in it for them. Using a knife or a gun with violence brings some control to some people's lives, it seems.

In my next post I reflect on the knife crime statistics in more detail and also examine in a fairly broad sense the causes of knife crime, specifically poverty. Check back here when you get chance. Thanks for reading.

Lessons for UK knife crime from gun control in the USA

Calls to legalise guns, allowing ordinary citizens to arm themselves, have at times dominated this blog. The reason this debate is allowed to feature on a knife crime blog is because the broader issues are highly relevant i.e. about carrying weapons - blades or guns - and all types of violent crime. In short, as well as anti-knife, this blog is anti-all weapons for private use including anti-gun. Ultimately, this blog is focused on achieving non-violent, civilised, peaceful - and one day, we hope, happy - existence.

Many pro-gunners have spent some time on this blog trying to argue private gun use should be allowed, alluding to legal use in the USA making their 'pro' position valid (e.g. Graham Showell and Britain Needs Guns). Bearing that in mind, I was interested in recent murder / killing statistics published in Time magazine (Aug 20 2012) demonstrating unequivocally that the USA clearly has a major gun problem, and most definitely not a solution to the country's ills (or the world's, for that matter).

From 'The Case for Gun Control' by Fareed Zakaria: "Gun violence in America is off the chart compared to every other country on the planet. The gun-homicide rate per capita in the US is 30 times that of Britain and Australia, 10 times that of India and four times that of Switzerland.

"... [The USA] does have many, many more guns. There are 88.8 firearms per 100 people in the US. In second place is Yemen with 54.8, then Switzerland with 45.7 and Finland with 45.3. No other country has a rate above 40. The US handgun-ownership rate is 70% higher than that of the country with the next highest rate."

And an indisputable fact is very obvious: crime has been falling over the past few decades in the US. Specifically, while violent crime rates have fallen by 20%, numbers of firearm homicides is essentially unchanged. Zakaria makes the blindingly obvious point: "What can explain this anomaly except easier access to guns?" And to try to hammer home his point, he courts controversy by remarking that when people throw up their hands and say nothing can be done about guns, tell them they're being un-American - and unintelligent.

So it is also the case for knives. As for guns, common sense (as well as the evidence) is crystal clear that less knife carrying would reduce killings and maiming. The more we can ensure criminal knife use is prevented, the more we can ensure people - mainly our sons - can stay alive.

Preventing easy access to and sale of knives, licensing their use for carrying in public places, doesn't seem quite as dramatic a step as we may have initially thought. It must be straightforward to better control sales of large combat knives (that killed Jacky Marshall, for whom this blog was set up 'in memoriam' after she was stabbed to death in a Chichester McDonald's fast food restaurant) and any kind of blade carried for self-protection... surely?

So... if anyone tells you little can be done about knives (or guns), just tell them they're being un-British - and unintelligent.

Knife crime incidents in past 7 days...

JUST look at the sheer scale of stabbings carried out across this nation... here's a screenshot of some of the many knife crime-related incidents and stories in the past seven days that can be fitted into one screenshot (when you click on the image, you will be able to view the list clearly).

Seven long days of misery and suffering:

Stabbings in past week, early June 2012

Alarming knife crime statistics - and must leave many thinking how to combat such a menace threatening each of us, our loved ones, people young and old. There are many campaigning to try to contain this violence, to try to squeeze this scourge on our society into a bottle and put a lid on it that never comes off.

Are you able to do something to stop blades being used in your home town, your streets, places you hang out, your criminal associate, on friends and innocent people you know, your youth clubs, schools, colleges, universities?

Got to be worth a try - it's your country... do you really want lawlessness and fear of killing and injury to haunt you all your life? No, we don't - somehow, got to stop this death and destruction... Onwards...

Knife crime robberies rise - but pan-2011 figures confusing

AN ANNUAL increase in knifepoint robberies - a rise of nine (9) per cent - has been recorded during 2011 across England and Wales according to statistics from the ONS (Office for National Statistics).

In fact, robberies in the street, as well as muggings, have increased while the statistical data shows a more general fall in all crime.

To be honest, Government statistical data is confusing again as officials have once more changed reporting methods. You wonder, importantly, about accuracy of the figures, and also what value this confusing picture brings to the taxpayer.

The nation's round-up of crime statistics are now published quarterly by the ONS having previously been the responsibility of the Home Office (see the Government's knife, gun + gang-related violence actions here).

This quarterly report, up to December 2011, is littered with news of increases in crime (and some decreases), and the phrase "not statistically significant" is used on occasions.

A link is here to the data for you to consider: National crime statistics to end of 2011.

There is apparently less clear information available as a result of the switch to the ONS - and the statistical data appears less transparent and less helpful to explain crime levels, especially the focus of this blog - knife crime - than previously.

Knife crime robbery stats from Home Office show 10% rise

KNIFE crime-related robberies, according to UK police figures, rose 10% year-on-year up to last September - but British Crime Survey (BCS) statistics showed no increase in estimated numbers of muggings and robberies at knife-point over the same year.

Here are the actual figures: robberies with knives totalled 15,313, rising from the previous year's 2010 figures of 13,971. Full details can be seen in the Home Office document 'Crime in England and Wales: Quarterly Update to September 2011'.

Two sources provide the latest knife crime statistics contained in the regular Home Office update - police recorded crime and the BCS. The Home Office state: "Neither source provides a total count of crime and each has its strengths and weaknesses." More details and explanation are contained in the 24-page report.

What causes people to pick up a blade and threaten to stick it into another person? Greed, desperation, poverty, swagger, arrogance, mental illness? If you know, add a post to this blog; it will be checked and published... if not abusive / threatening etc itself.

Ban the Voodoo knife block in 2012!

CAN someone explain to me why anyone would buy the voodoo knifeman kitchen block? It is unfathomable why this sickening knife 'toy' (for adults, allegedly) is still on sale for use in the home.

If I was to write a review about these it would say: "Sickening rubbish: if you are anti-knife crime, do not buy!"

Knifeman stand / Sickening stabbing block

I spotted Red or Dead co-founder Wayne Hemingway and his other half Gerardine had one in a photo of their kitchen carried in Hello! magazine last year (like the one inset on this knife crime post).

It is baffling why prominent people, such as these trendy / fashion-conscious partners - with huge fashion design credentials - would own such offensive crap. (You may recall Wayne Hemingway recently moved the Vintage Festival event from Chichester / Goodwood to London, unsuccessfully apparently; here's another example of poor judgement then.)

When this knife crime blog first started, I remember highlighting how people in the fashion industry have some kind of sick love affair with violence, stabbing, death, knives, guns etc. Do you recall the post? You can read it again here (about an Italian fashion house... must be something in the sick mafia blood over there): Boycott Dolce & Gabbana over idiot knife adverts.  Think D&G removed the ad (thank goodness!) but the BBC report is still live and explains all and the ASA ban on this horrendous advert is still accessible. Wonder how many more fashionista idiots abound... let me know!

In any event, let's have the anti-knife crime campaigners get these voodoo 'blade blocks' banned, let's have retailers remove them from shop shelves and online stores stop stocking them. At the very least we need to embarrass (odd!) people, such as the Hemingway's, buying them. If you bought one by accident, just bin it (try metal recycling perhaps, pop it in at one of the world's police stations, or drop it off in a local knife amnesty bucket somewhere).

Knife crime statistics show drop - and then Xmas came...

IT SEEMED like better news at the start of this December - a 16% fall was recorded in numbers of criminals who were sentenced or received cautions for carrying knives and offensive weapons.

However, now we stare in dismay at news headlines about the brutal gang-style slaying of Seydou Diarrassouba in London's Oxford Street and other Christmas stabbing murders in Liverpool (Gaynor McGlyn), Rochdale (John Lee Barrett), Nottinghamshire (Gillian Woodward), Sheffield (Joshua Green) and Hackney, London's east end (Kirsty Treloar) - and I saw another knife murder was committed in Portland in the south west of England (Martin Rusling). And then there's the shooting in Salford of Anuj Bidve and mass shootings of three people at Peterlee (Susan McGoldrick, Alison Turnbull and her niece Tanya, and Laura McGoldrick).

What gets into the mind of these mind-numbing killers :'-(  ??

(Stop press:  I've started to lose count of the number of stabbings being reported at Christmas 2011, most of them fatal; it's horrendous and terrifying - Chris Bergin, Catherine Wynter, Scott Cooke, Bronius Juras, Walter Keeling... This must be stopped but how...?)

Latest knife crime data from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ):

Official knife crime statistics showed that between July and September 2011, there were 5,466 offences reported by police compared to a higher figure of 6,490 over the same three months in 2009.

The MoJ said offences by adults had fallen from 5,237 to 4,561 (13% less) while the drop in numbers of juveniles seems to have been much more significant with those caught carrying knives and weapons dropping from 1,253 to 904 (28% decrease).

In addition, numbers of knife criminals imprisoned upon conviction of possession of blades or offensive weapons stood at 21%, the lowest figure since Q2 in 2008 when tougher court sentences were implemented to tackle knife crime.

• In Scotland, Tories claim knife-related murders have increased to a ten-year high with one-in-six court convicted knife crime offenders failing to be jailed.

Knife crime statistics: political battleground?

Knife crime has been apparently somewhat of a political battleground with some political jockeying apparently for a leading position by the political parties (or is it political argy-bargy)?


While recently the coalition government was working to show itself as dealing with the problem, the Labour party has also been trying to show itself working on the issue.


According to the Children & Young People Now website, the Metropolitan Police report knife crime in the capital is 'broadly' up by 15.2% in April to October 2011 versus the same period in 2010 (see 'knife crime soars' story).


However, Labour claim use of knives to threaten in London is up 23%.


The divisive nature of party politics makes it difficult to envisage the parties being united to tackle knife and violent crime... or maybe it's happening... no-one's criticised the other side for awhile at least, as far as I have observed.


That's a step forward - good, because people have been dying and injured. All decent people must focus to stop more death and injury happening.