Knife crime in Devon and Cornwall has more than doubled in seven years
Devon and Cornwall Police recorded 507 offences involving a knife or sharp weapon in 2019-2020
Devon and Cornwall has seen knife crime more than double in just seven years, figures have revealed.
Anti-knife crime charity the Ben Kinsella Trust warns surging knife crime rates are no longer confined to major cities across England and Wales, and that "every village, town and city" should be aware of the scale of the crisis.
Devon and Cornwall Police recorded 507 offences involving a knife or a sharp weapon in 2019-20, Office for National Statistics data shows.
That was more than double the 198 reported in 2012-13, when comparable records were first published.
There were roughly 29 knife or sharp weapon offences per 100,000 people in Devon and Cornwall last year - a record high and up from 12 per 100,000 seven years earlier.
Detective Chief Inspector Alex Doughty said: "Devon and Cornwall Police takes every single incident of knife crime very seriously, conducting regular and targeted proactive work in this area.
"Any rise is concerning but the number remains relatively very low. Devon and Cornwall have the second lowest number of knife offences in England and Wales by population as well as the second lowest crime rate overall.
"Offences have risen over the past decade but this is in part due to our increased ability to detect and record crime. Residents continue to live in one of the safest parts of the country".
Detective Chief Inspector Alex Doughty
Knife crime has risen across England and Wales in recent years, the ONS said, with a record 50,000 offences recorded by police in the year leading up to the coronavirus crisis.
Of those, 22,012 (44%) were for assault with injury or assault with intent to cause serious harm, and 21,961 (44%) were used in a robbery.
The ONS said despite improved crime recording methods, increases are likely to reflect a real rise in the number of knife and sharp weapon offences nationally.
Patrick Green, chief executive of the Ben Kinsella Trust, said the latest figures are "frightening".
"Tragically, knife crime has become embedded into our society, affecting generation after generation," he added.
"We are no longer simply dealing with a sudden jump in knife crime, this problem has been growing and getting worse every year.
"The Government needs to change its approach. We are beyond the point where we can arrest our way out of this problem, we must do more to tackle the root causes of knife crime.
"This means a greater focus on prevention and early intervention to stop knives being carried in the first place".
Patrick Green, Ben Kinsella Trust
Separate ONS figures show knife crime soared by 25% between July and September last year as lockdown restrictions were lifted.
Mr Green said the charity is already seeing an increase in the crime ahead of the planned easing of restrictions in the coming weeks.
The latest data also reveals the number of gun crimes recorded by police forces in England and Wales.
Devon and Cornwall Police recorded 107 offences involving a gun in 2019-20, 19 fewer than the 126 recorded a year earlier.
The figures include offences where a firearm has been fired, used as a blunt instrument or as a threat, but exclude any involving air weapons.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "Too many young lives are being needlessly lost. We are working closely with the police and others to stop this senseless bloodshed, particularly as Covid restrictions are eased over coming months.
"We are making sure the police have the resources and support they need, including bolstering their ranks with 20,000 new officers.
"At the same time, the Government is investing millions into Violence Reduction Units to tackle the root causes of violent crime, while our £200 million Youth Endowment Fund supports vital projects that steer young people away from a life of crime".
Home Office
You can check the full figures for Devon and Cornwall and the UK here.