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<p> </p><p> </p><p>Since 2009 there has been an overall decline in knife crime. A
higher proportion of people are going to prison for knife possession than in previous
years and sentences are getting longer. However we continue to keep this area of the
law under close scrutiny. We recently made it clear that cautions should no longer
be used for knife possession offences for adults and are currently exploring wider
changes to how we tackle knife offences.</p><p> </p><p>Table 1 illustrates the number
of juveniles proceeded against at magistrates' court, found guilty and sentenced at
all courts for offences relating to having an article with blade or point in England
& Wales, from 2008 to 2012.</p><p> </p><p>Table 2 illustrates the number of adults
proceeded against at magistrates' court, found guilty and sentenced at all courts
for offences relating to having an article with blade or point, in England & Wales,
from 2008 to 2012.</p><p> </p><p>It is important to note that these data have been
extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police
forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes
and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the
principal offences for which they were dealt with.</p><p> </p><p>Data detailing the
number of people aged (a) under 18 and (b) 18 and over, who were (i) convicted (ii)
and received a custodial sentence for carrying a bladed or pointed article in a public
place in each year since 2008 can be found at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/knife-possession-sentencing-quarterly-brief-october-2013-december-2013"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/knife-possession-sentencing-quarterly-brief-october-2013-december-2013</a>.</p><p>
</p><p>The figures provided have been drawn from an extract of the Police National
Computer (PNC) data held by the Department. The PNC holds details of all convictions
and cautions given for recordable offences committed in England and Wales. In addition,
as with any large scale recording system the PNC is subject to possible errors with
data entry and processing.</p><p> </p><p>The Department also records number of prosecutions
and custodial sentences for this particular offence which can be viewed in the tables
below.</p><p> </p><p>Table 1</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="8"><p><strong>Table
1 - Juvenile proceeded against at magistrates' court, found guilty and sentenced at
all courts for offences relating having an article with blade or point, England &
Wales, 2002-2012<sup>(1)(2)(3)</sup></strong></p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Offence</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p><strong>Outcome</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2008</strong><strong>(4)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2009</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2010</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2011</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td
rowspan="3"><p>Having an article with blade or point in public place</p></td><td>
</td><td><p>Proceeded against</p></td><td><p>1,354</p></td><td><p>1,436</p></td><td><p>1,219</p></td><td><p>1,141</p></td><td><p>935</p></td></tr><tr><td>
</td><td><p>Immediate custody</p></td><td><p>100</p></td><td><p>111</p></td><td><p>77</p></td><td><p>77</p></td><td><p>59</p></td></tr><tr><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3"><p>Having
an article with blade or point on school premises</p></td><td> </td><td><p>Proceeded
against</p></td><td><p>75</p></td><td><p>104</p></td><td><p>93</p></td><td><p>82</p></td><td><p>81</p></td></tr><tr><td>
</td><td><p>Immediate custody</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p>Table 2</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="8"><p><strong>Table 2 - Adults
proceeded against at magistrates' court, found guilty and sentenced at all courts
for offences relating to having an article with blade or point, England & Wales,
2002-2012<sup>(1)(2)(3)</sup></strong></p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Offence</strong></p></td><td>
</td><td><p><strong>Outcome</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2008</strong><strong>(4)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2009</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2010</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2011</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td
rowspan="3"><p>Having an article with blade or point in public place</p></td><td>
</td><td><p>Proceeded against</p></td><td><p>6,112</p></td><td><p>7,696</p></td><td><p>6,753</p></td><td><p>6,646</p></td><td><p>5,669</p></td></tr><tr><td>
</td><td><p>Immediate custody</p></td><td><p>1,273</p></td><td><p>1,560</p></td><td><p>1,326</p></td><td><p>1,501</p></td><td><p>1,264</p></td></tr><tr><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3"><p>Having
an article with blade or point on school premises</p></td><td> </td><td><p>Proceeded
against</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>14</p></td><td><p>9</p></td><td><p>6</p></td></tr><tr><td>
</td><td><p>Immediate custody</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>(-)
= Nil</p></td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td
colspan="8"><p>(1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these
offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant
has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest
penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the
offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most
severe.</p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>
</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="8"><p>(2) Every effort is made to ensure that
the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note
that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated
by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure
data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account
when those data are used.</p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="8"><p>(3) The number of offenders
sentenced can differ from those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant
found guilty in a particular year, and committed for sentence at the Crown Court,
may be sentenced in the following year.</p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="5"><p>(4)
Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates' court for April, July and August 2008.</p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="3"><p>(5) Excludes life and indeterminate
sentences.</p></td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td
colspan="4"><p>Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.</p></td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>Ref: PQ 194369</p></td><td> </td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td>
</td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table>
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