Justice system dealing with highest number of knife crimes in decade

The number of knife crimes being dealt with by the police and courts are the highest in a decade, official figures show.

There were 22,286 knife and offensive weapon offences formally dealt with by the criminal justice system in England and Wales in the year ending September 2019, according to Ministry of Justice statistics.

This is a 3% rise on the previous year and the highest since September 2009 (26,364).

The figures follow Tuesday’s announcement that the Prime Minister ordered all Whitehall departments to take action on tackling crime.

Boris Johnson told ministers every department should consider itself a criminal justice department as part of a drive to look at the “complex causes of crime” which would involve long-term reforms to improve health, social care, youth services and education.

• Nearly half those charged with London knife deaths were previous blade offenders