Knife crime is a scourge on our society which in recent years has become all to more prevalent in our communities which is why I am seeking to lead a debate in the House of Commons on this subject.
In the year ending March 2023 there were approximately 50,500 knife crime offences in England and Wales.
ONS data shows that in 2022/23 in my own region of the West Midlands we record the highest rate of offences at 178 per 100,000 of population.
With a population of 2.9million this equates to a staggering average of 5197 knife crime offences in the West Midlands each year or 14 incidents every single day.
However, this is not just about numbers because behind ever number there is a story, behind every story there is a devastated, grieving family, loved ones, friends, colleagues and all too often there is also a shocked and shaken community.
In my own Aldridge-Brownhills constituency James Brindley fell victim to an unprovoked fatal stabbing in 2017 as he walked home from a night out. His attacker was aged 17.
There are questions behind every number too – the search for the perpetrator, but also for search for answers to a life needlessly lost.
Identifying and tackling the root causes is crucial. And there are some common themes which we cannot ignore – demographics, socio-economic factors including age, race, and sex.
For example, in the year ending March 2023, across England and Wales there were 3420 cautions and convictions made for possession of a knife or offensive weapon among young people aged 10 – 17. In the West Midlands between January and September this year 565 under 18-year-olds were arrested on suspicion of knife related crimes.
Children and Young people who are not engaging can all too often be lured into street gangs, violence and even Child Criminal Exploitation.
We need a long-term approach to tackling issues around Childhood trauma and parental violence and influence. This is work that cuts right across several government departments – Department for Education, Ministry of Justice, Department for Health and Social Care and of course the Home Office.
Typically, 90% of attackers and victims are male. In London 90% of knife crime offenders were male. And across England and Wales 91% of people admitted to hospital for assault by sharp objects were male.
Low socio-economic backgrounds are a factor too. In a YouGov poll commissioned by Barnardo’s 1 in 5 parents said that they will struggle to have time off work to spend with their children, meaning children are often left unsupervised.
What concerns me most is when I hear young people say they carry a knife to make them feel safe. This has to change.
In August of this year the Home Office made the very welcome announcement on the banning of Machetes and Zombie style knives, and the Police are to be given new powers to seize and destroy any weapon they find. Locally to me in the West Midlands the Express and Star newspaper have been actively campaigning for this. We now need the legislation and I very much hope that it will come forward as part of the Kings Speech.
But in addition to the work of Ministers and the Government it is important that we recognise and reinforce other routes to tackle this problem.
For example, in Aldridge following the tragic death of their beloved son, Mark and Beverley Brindley set up the Brindley Foundation to bring about positive social change and to reduce youth violence. Their campaign includes #LifeOrKnife and setting up 12 knife amnesty bins across Walsall Borough for people to throw away knives anonymously. Young people need support and to be part of the solution to tackle knife crime – including education, mentoring, and training.
Locally Councillors at Walsall Borough Council are also working to tackle knife crime with partners, recognising the need for a broad, and holistic approach.
Across Local Government Licensing Committees need to work better and more effectively with the local police for example when it comes to requests for curfews as a method of public protection in town centres with challenging night time economies. The installation and enforcement of knife arches in night clubs, and provision of bleed kits are practical measures that could and should be mandated for specific venues.
We all have a positive role to play to ensure that we eradicate knife crime within our society, and that is why I wish to raise this important matter in Parliament.
Some young people carry a knife to make them feel safe, this has to change says Wendy Morton MP
