Police chiefs welcomed drop in knife crime in Notts as figures reveal a smaller proportion of knife offenders going to jail

Campaigners say knife crime laws are being applied in a ‘weak and ineffective way’ as Ministry of Justice figures show fewer criminals are going to jail for knife and weapons offences across England and Wales.

In the year to September 2021, the criminal justice system handed down 579 punishments for knife crime in Nottinghamshire, 146, or 25 per cent, of which were immediate jail sentences.

That was a lower proportion than the year before, when 32 per cent of knife offenders were sent to prison, while in 2019 – prior to the coronavirus pandemic – the figure stood at 38 per cent.

Nottinghamshire Police recorded 775 offences involving a knife or a sharp weapon in 2019-20, Office for National Statistics data shows.

That was down from 888 offences in 2018-19 – a drop of 13 per cent.

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “It’s great news knife crime incidents in Nottinghamshire have reduced. Fewer knife crimes means people are safer.

“Our continued focus every single day on keeping people safe has also led to a 28 per cent drop in incidents of violence with injury in Nottinghamshire over the last two years.

“Nottinghamshire is now a safer place than it was before the pandemic, but we will never be complacent.

“We are determined to carry on this positive momentum by continuing to drive down knife crime and reduce the number of people carrying knives.

“We understand the devastating consequences knife crime can have on peoples’ lives, which is why we continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners and communities in doing everything we can to keep people safe and crack down on this issue.”

Nationally, just 28 per cent of criminals received a jail sentence after being convicted over knife crime last year, down from 36 per cent in the year to September 2020.

And despite the introduction in 2015 of 'second strike' sentences of at least six months for repeat offenders, more than 5,000 had a history of similar offending.

Just more than half of them were put behind bars compared to 63 per cent the year before.

Convictions

In Nottinghamshire, there were 167 people cautioned or convicted who had previous convictions, including 32 with two convictions and 34 with three or more.

Of them, 76 were sent straight to prison, meaning 91 repeat knife offenders received non-custodial sentences or cautions.

Patrick Green, of anti-knife crime charity the Ben Kinsella Trust, said knife-crime victims were being failed by the criminal justice system.

Across England and Wales, 20,200 knife and offensive weapons offences ended with a conviction or caution in the year to September 2021, a rise of 10 per cent on the previous year and the equivalent of 38 for every 100,000 people. The rate in Nottinghamshire was 62 per 100,000, down from 69 in 2019, before the pandemic brought disruption to courts and communities.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said those caught carrying a knife are more likely to be sent to jail – and for longer – than they were a decade ago.

A National Police Chiefs' Council spokesman said tackling knife crime is a policing priority.

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