APCC Responds to Latest Knife and Offensive Weapon Sentencing Data
New Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data for Knife and Offensive Weapon Sentencing Statistics has been published from July to September 2023.
Responding to the statistics, APCC Criminal Justice Lead David Lloyd (Hertfordshire PCC) and deputy lead Emily Spurrell (Merseyside PCC) said:
“The most successful approaches to reducing violence are when policing and other partners come together to tackle the underlying causes of such offending. No single agency alone can eradicate knife crime. As PCCs we are working together with our local partners to commission a range of interventions and programmes for those at risk including young people. This work has intensified since the launch of the Government’s Serious Violence Duty which places a statutory duty on public organisations to work together to tackle the underlying causes of violence.
“While we welcome reductions in possession offences, our communities tell us that tackling the scourge of knife crime remains a top priority. Studies show that people who carry a knife are more likely to become a victim themselves and whilst we’ve seen a six percent reduction in first time offenders for a knife and offensive weapon offence over the last decade, there is still much work to do.
“Our Violence Reduction Units are dedicated to reducing offending through community intervention and education, the value of this work cannot be overstated and as PCCs we’re committed to continuing to work with those organisations, to highlight the dangers of carrying a knife by offering our young people pathways to more positive futures.”
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