Number of knife crimes in London 2010-2019
In 2018/19 the number of knife crime offences recorded in London reached almost 15 thousand, an increase of more than five thousand compared with 2015/16. This rise reversed the trend of decreasing knife crime offences recorded between 2011/12 and 2014/15, which saw a reduction of knife crime offences from just over 14 thousand to under 9.7 thousand.
A wider trend
The increase in knife crime witnessed in London has occurred alongside a general increase in overall knife crime throughout England and Wales. While there are certainly multiple reasons for this disturbing trend, it is undeniable that the cuts to both police funding and officer numbers are important factors.
Acid and moped attacks
While knife crime in London has certainly been given a lot of attention by the British media, the increase in acid and moped attacks during the same time period have also generated many headlines. In 2017 for example there were 465 acid attacks recorded by the Metropolitan Police, compared with just 77 in 2012. Moped crime has seen an even greater increase than acid attacks, rising from just over 9 thousand offences in 2016 to almost 24 thousand in 2017.
A wider trend
The increase in knife crime witnessed in London has occurred alongside a general increase in overall knife crime throughout England and Wales. While there are certainly multiple reasons for this disturbing trend, it is undeniable that the cuts to both police funding and officer numbers are important factors.
Acid and moped attacks
While knife crime in London has certainly been given a lot of attention by the British media, the increase in acid and moped attacks during the same time period have also generated many headlines. In 2017 for example there were 465 acid attacks recorded by the Metropolitan Police, compared with just 77 in 2012. Moped crime has seen an even greater increase than acid attacks, rising from just over 9 thousand offences in 2016 to almost 24 thousand in 2017.
