Knife crimes hit nine-year high in Devon and Cornwall
Figures show 416 knife and offensive weapon crimes resulted in a caution or sentence here in the year to March
Hundreds of criminals were sentenced or cautioned for knife and weapon offences in Devon and Cornwall in the year to March – a nine-year high.
Knife crime charity the Ben Kinsella Trust said it was a relief to see the numbers drop slightly across England and Wales, but warned that "heinous" knife crime has not gone away.
Ministry of Justice figures show 416 knife and offensive weapon crimes resulted in a caution or sentence in Devon and Cornwall in the year to March – the highest number since 2011, when there were 428.
This means there were 26 offences per 100,000 people in the area, up from 25 the year before.
The figure includes possession of, or threatening with, a knife or other offensive weapon, but do not include all offences, such as murder or assault.
Across England and Wales, an estimated 21,325 knife and offensive weapon crimes resulted in a caution or sentence in the 12 months to March.
This was 4% fewer than the year before, but was still the third-highest annual figure since current records began in 2010.
“Devon and Cornwall remains one of the safest areas in the country to live in, with recorded instances of knife crime some of the lowest recorded rates nationally.
“We appreciate that public perception of knife crime may be driven by national reports of increased government funding to tackle the issue, but that is very much not the picture in Devon and Cornwall.
“The Force area in the 12 months to March 2020 had the second lowest rate - (28) per 100,000 population - for knife crime. This is echoed in the report with Devon & Cornwall Police recording the lowest reported crime rate – 57 per 1000 resident population – in England and Wales this is a 6 per cent decrease on the previous year.
“Devon & Cornwall Police, however, is not complacent and continues to build an intelligence picture in terms of where the risks lie in our communities, and then has clear plans in place to keep people from coming to harm. This includes regular knife amnesties, working with domestic abuse agencies and educating the next generation.
"Evidence around this is often very anecdotal, but proactive action will always be taken whenever knives or any other weapon are identified as a threat. Ensuring our communities remain safe and are not put at threat and risk by knives remains of paramount importance."
Chief Superintendent Matthew Longman, Devon and Cornwall Police
Patrick Green, chief executive of the Ben Kinsella Trust, said it is a welcome relief to see a small decrease in numbers in the last year.
He added: “But we need to remember that these figures show that knife crime is still 53% higher than it was in 2014.
"So sadly, knife crime has not gone away and we need to maintain the focus in tackling and preventing this heinous crime."
Patrick Green, Ben Kinsella Trust
The figures cover just to the start of the coronavirus lockdown, but the MoJ said any impact on the data from the pandemic was likely to be small.
The figures show around 38% of offenders in England and Wales received an immediate custodial sentence – the average of which rose to 7.9 months in the year to March, compared to 7.7 before.
In Devon and Cornwall, 26% of offenders went straight to prison.
Adults and juveniles cautioned or sentenced are increasingly likely to be repeat offenders, with the proportion of first-time offenders dropping from 80% in the year ending March 2010 to 71% in the latest figures.
The MoJ said sentencing remains a matter for independent judges, but that threatening and repeat possession offenders should expect to go to prison.
“Knife crime is a devastating blight on too many communities and this government is determined to do everything it can to make our streets safer.
“We are recruiting 20,000 more police officers, making it easier to use stop and search and ensuring the most violent offenders spend longer behind bars.”
Justice minister, Chris Philp