Knife crime has been a significant concern for years and the statistics are grim reading. In the year to March 2023, 50,500 knife-related offences were reported in England and Wales, a number that includes a range of crimes from assaults and robberies to deaths involving knives or sharp objects. Sentencing statistics from the Ministry of Justice shows that in same period, there were just over 19,000 cautions and convictions made for possession of a knife or offensive weapon.
And tragically, a knife or other sharp instrument was used in 244 murders that year – that’s over 41 per cent of all murders in England and Wales, making knives, by far, the most common method of killing.
Where is knife crime most prevalent?
London continues to be a hotspot for knife crime, but other regions also experience high levels, including the west midlands, which in 2022/23, had the highest rate, of 178 offences per 100,000 population, Greater Manchester and Merseyside, where knife crime rates are particularly related to gang activity.
What causes knife crime?
Several underlying factors contribute to knife crime in the UK, including:
- Social and economic deprivation: areas with higher poverty and unemployment rates tend to see more violent crime, including knife-related offenses.
- Gang culture: many knife crimes are linked to gang activity, drug trade, and territorial disputes, particularly among youth.
- Fear and protection: some young people carry knives for self-defence, believing they need protection in dangerous neighbourhoods, which increases the likelihood of violence.
- Cuts to youth services: there has been widespread criticism of cuts to youth services and community projects, which has reduced support and opportunities for vulnerable young people.
Young people aged 10-17 were the offenders in around 18% of knife crime cases and are overrepresented as both victims and perpetrators of knife crime. In some regions, a significant proportion of knife crime victims are teenagers.
What can we do about knife crime?
The UK has strict laws on carrying knives and the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 has recently been amended to tighten the existing law by making it a criminal offence to possess in private certain offensive weapons.
There have also been efforts to curb knife crime, for example, London’s Knife Crime Strategy, implemented by the Mayor of London and Metropolitan Police. This includes increased stop-and-search operations, youth engagement programs, and funding for community-based interventions. In addition, Violence Reduction Units around the UK focus on early intervention, aiming to work with schools, mental health services, and community organisations to prevent violence before it escalates.
The role of magistrates
Magistrates play a crucial role in addressing knife crime through the justice system to ensure that justice is served, preventing reoffending and ensuring public safety. Also, as magistrates, our presence in the community helps build trust in the justice system and encourages the public to report knife crime as too many knife crimes involve young people.
I have been a magistrate in London since 2019 and became involved in the Magistrates’ Association’s Magistrates in the Community initiative, in which magistrates go out into their communities to inform and educate people about the work that magistrates do, as well as giving us a platform to talk about crime and the criminal justice system, and knife crime in particular.
Through my Magistrates in the Community work, I have been invited to schools, special educational needs centres, hospitals, pupil referral units and local community groups to talk about knife-related offences, such as carrying a knife in public or using one in an assault. This was an obvious step for me to take, because I have been involved with young people in my local community for over 30 years. I was also driven in this direction after a murder in my family, when a relative was stabbed to death when I was 16. This event in my life left me bereft, but driven.
In 2021, when I was voted deputy chair of the Magistrates’ Association’s Black, Asian & minority ethnic network, I grasped the opportunity to be able to create a knife crime presentation to educate primary, secondary and pupil referral unit students on the dangers, and the consequences, of carrying a knife for protection. The presentation plays a critical role in addressing the issues, by focusing on key areas such as:
- The dangers of carrying knives: Explaining the risks involved in carrying knives for self-protection, and how it increases the likelihood of harm to the person and others.
- The legal consequences: Educating students on the legal ramifications of carrying knives.
- Emphasising prevention: Highlighting safer alternatives and resources for avoiding violence and staying safe without resorting to weapons.
- Who to speak to: For students who prefer not to speak to their family or the police about knife crime or related concerns, there are several confidential options available. Many organizations specialize in supporting young people in difficult situations.
So far, I have delivered the knife crime presentation to over 3,000 students across numerous schools, pupil referral units and a hospital team in London. Following my presentations, I have also placed young people into my local court for work experience, which has been very successful.
The reaction to the presentation and my passion and determination to protect young people, has been incredible. Many young people have been shocked when they learned during the presentation that it is against the law to carry a weapon to protect themselves, as so many students thought they could. Last year after presenting to a sixth form, one of the students came up to me and said they had planned to carry a knife to protect themselves at university, but after my presentation they decided against this.
One attendee at a secondary school in Wandsworth said it was inspirational and that I was a role model, while feedback from many others said it had been excellent and that it had made them think more about knife crime.
“We can stop young people carrying knives”
I have been supported by my colleagues Samira Osman, Sarah Sawyerr and my local Police who I have an excellent relationship with, as they know that knife crime is a priority across the UK.
By Dawn J Gibbons JP CMI FPC CeMAP-BDG
South West London Bench, Magistrate Member London Recruitment Advisory Committee (LRAC) and member of MA’s diversity and inclusion committee
