Good news as knife crime figures fall
Jan 23 2009 by Paul Loraine, The Journal
VIOLENT knife crime has fallen in the Northumbria Police force area, bucking a national trend, new figures reveal.
A total of 591 incidents of serious violent knife crime were recorded between April and December 2008 – 5.5% down on the same period in 2007.
Serious knife crime includes any serious offence involving a knife or a bladed instrument, like a broken bottle. The fall was reported on the same day the Home Office released the quarterly update on national crime statistics up to September 2008.
Across the country, the number of robberies involving knives shot up by nearly a fifth, from 3,951 to 4,207 between July and September.
During the same period, the number of murders involving knives also rose nationally, by 10%. Chief Insp Bob Ryan, of Northumbria Police’s Harm Reduction Unit, said: “Although knife crime is not a significant problem in Northumbria compared with other areas of the country we are nevertheless determined that our communities will not be blighted by knife crime.
“That’s why we launched our Knife Crime Campaign in July 2008, including enforcement activity and public consultation.
“More than 600 weapons were handed in while officers stopped and searched anyone suspected of carrying a knife. The figures released today reflect our tough approach to knife crime and our continuing successful efforts to make sure it does not take hold in our area.”
John Johnson, 57, whose 22-year-old son Kevin was stabbed to death for challenging three teenage troublemakers outside his Sunderland home, said the way the figures were presented distracted people from the seriousness of the problem.
“They are grouping together petty crimes involving knives with murders,” he said. “That can’t be right and it gives the figures a different look.
“It papers over the cracks. Fair enough, they don’t have as many incidents in this area but it’s still too many.”
In the Northumbria force area, there were also dips in the number of robberies, falling 5.5% on the previous year, and overall crime, which fell 1.1%.08 – which itself saw crime fall by 15%.”
Durham Constabulary provided crime figures for the time between July and September last year in comparison to the same period in 2007.
Domestic burglary rose 16% while there were also marginally more burglaries of businesses than in the previous year.
However, violence against the person – which includes crimes such as murder, rape and assault – was down more than 15%.
A force spokeswoman said: “The force area of County Durham and Darlington remains one of the safest places to live and work.
“While these figures refer only to a three-month period they show a downward trend in overall crime.
“This is as a result of a lot of hard work and we will continue to work with our partner organisations and agencies to ensure this continues.”
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