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<p>Police recorded crime statistics published on 17 October by the Office for National
Statistics show that across England and Wales, there has been a 7 per cent increase
in offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in the year to June 2019, and a
44 per cent increase since 2010/11. These increases are thought to be partly a genuine
increase and partly due to improvements in the police recording of these offences.
The latest force data are contained in the Open Data Tables to be found at the following
link:</p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/839965/prc-knife-open-data-march2009-onwards-tables.ods"
target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/839965/prc-knife-open-data-march2009-onwards-tables.ods</a></p><p>The
following table shows the number of knife and sharp instrument offences recorded by
the police for the financial year 2010/11 and the years ending June 2018 and June
2019, for London and England (excluding Greater Manchester):</p><table><tbody><tr><td
rowspan="2"><p>Knife and Sharp instrument offences</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td colspan="2"><p>% change year to June 2019 compared with:</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010/11</p></td><td><p>Year
to June 2018</p></td><td><p>Year to June 2019</p></td><td><p>2010/11</p></td><td><p>Year
to June 2018</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>London</p></td><td><p>13,356</p></td><td><p>14,989</p></td><td><p>15,023</p></td><td><p>12</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>England (excl GMP)</p></td><td><p>29,879</p></td><td><p>39,891</p></td><td><p>42,677</p></td><td><p>43</p></td><td><p>7</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We
are taking determined action to tackle knife crime and other serious violence across
London and the rest of the country. This includes giving the police the resources
and tools they need to keep families, communities and our country safe. We have recently
launched a national campaign to begin to recruit 20,000 new police officers over the
next three years, and we are making it easier for the police to use stop and search
powers. We are also giving police forces an additional £10 million to allow them to
increase the number of officers who carry tasers to help protect themselves and the
public from harm.</p><p>Police funding is increasing by more than £1 billion this
year, including council tax and additional funding through the £100 million Serious
Violence Fund. This Fund includes £63.4 million for surge operational activity, £35
million to support Violence Reduction Units, and £1.6 million to help improve the
quality of data on serious violence. The Metropolitan Police has been allocated £20.84
million from the Serious Violence Fund for surge police activity and £7 million for
the Violence Reduction Unit. In addition, through the Offensive Weapons Act 2019,
we are providing the police with more powers, and making it more difficult for young
people to get hold of knives in the first place. The Act includes Knife Crime Prevention
Orders which will give the police an important new tool to help them to work with
people to steer them away from serious violence and knife crime.We continue to encourage
all police forces to undertake a series of coordinated national weeks of action to
tackle knife crime under Operation Sceptre. The operation includes targeted stop and
searches, weapon sweeps, surrender of knives, including through amnesty bins, test
purchases of knives from retailers, and educational events. The latest phase of the
operation took place from 17 to 22 September.</p><p>We are also addressing the root
causes of crime by investing over £220 million in early intervention projects and
in the Queens Speech on 14 October, it was announced that we would be bringing forward
a new Serious Violence Bill to introduce a new legal duty on public bodies to prevent
and tackle serious violence.</p>
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