Fewer than a third of knife convictions end in a jail sentence

Ministry of Justice (MOJ) data shows that in Shropshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire, the areas covered by West Mercia Police, there were 233 cautions or sentences for knife related crime in the in the year ending March 2023.

But just 67 of these offenders (29 per cent) were jailed - fewer than in 2019-20 when the last set of figures before the Covid pandemic were compiled, when 33 per cent of offenders were sent to prison.

The MOJ have said of the 2022/23 convictions, 155 were first-time knife criminals, with two thirds of knife crime offenders in West Mercia having no previous knife-related convictions or cautions.

First time offenders account for 67 per cent of all those found guilty of knife and offensive weapon offences in the area, and of these only a fifth (21 per cent) were sent to jail.

West Mercia Police caught 42 children aged under 18 with knives in 2022-23, a slight decrease from 44 in 2019-20.

The MOJ figures on conviction show a stark difference between the number of knife offences recorded by West Mercia Police and actual convictions.

The force say that between 2022/23 there were 1,209 offences involving a knife in the West Mercia Region, 76 fewer than the previous year.

Superintendent Ed Hancox said: "We know the devastating impact knife crime can have on not just the victim but their families and the wider community. It can also be life changing for anyone who is caught carrying a knife, we know those who carry knives are just as likely to be a victim of knife crime.

“Throughout the year officers across our counties work tirelessly to raise awareness of the dangers of carrying a knife and take early intervention measures to prevent young people from getting involved in knife crime in the first place.

“Our award-winning Steer Clear programme sees not just police but other agencies, such as paramedics and voluntary organisations, work together to offer support to young people, and their families, who are on the periphery of becoming involved in knife crime. We know that early intervention initiatives such as this are incredibly effective at diverting young people away from criminal behaviour.

“We encourage anyone who has any information about someone who carries a knife, or they suspect is involved in violence or drug crime, to get in touch. It could save a life. You can do this by calling 101 or visiting our website.

Across England and Wales, the proportion of offenders sent into immediate custody for a knife offence fell from 37 per cent in the year ending March 2020 to 30 per cent this year.

Anti-knife crime charity the Ben Kinsella Trust said urgent change is needed to address this trend, as it suggests “for some, carrying knives has become normalised behaviour”.

Patrick Green, Ben Kinsella Trust chief executive, said the MOJ figures showed the law is not providing a sufficient deterrent and many first-time knife criminals would go on to become serial offenders.

Mr Green said: “One possibility is that young people are feeling increasingly unsafe, and that they are mistakenly carrying knives for protection.

“Protecting our youth and fostering a safe environment for all should be a government priority.”

He added children are also influenced by social media, which “often portrays knives in a glamorised way” and said young people must be provided with the necessary support, education, and opportunities to steer them away from violence.

Overall, there were 19,086 knife offences that resulted in a caution or sentence in England and Wales to March this year, which was a slight decrease on last year’s figure of 19,674.