Expert Comment: Falling knife crime 'does not signal lasting change'

Dr James Alexander analyses the latest crime data from the Office for National Statistics

Date: 22 October 2026

New figures from the Office for National Statistics for police forces in England and Wales show: 

• Knife-enabled crime decreased by 6 per cent in year ending June 2026 - from 51,567 offences to 48,615 
• Offences involving firearms fell by 8 per cent from 5,477 to 5,065 

Dr James Alexander, an Associate Enterprise Fellow within the Criminology Department at London Metropolitan University, said: 

"Although the decrease in knife crime in the latest statistics is welcome, year on year reductions, even over several years, does not necessarily signal lasting change. 

"London’s 12 per cent decrease in knife crime is double that seen in the country as a whole and is testament to the efforts of London’s Violence Reduction Unit, Local Authorities and VCS organisations. 

"However, we have seen similar drops in the past - between 2012 and 2015 London saw a 32 per cent reduction in knife offences, only for year on year increases after that. Even with today’s welcome reduction, knife offences in London are still 34 per cent higher than in 2012. 

"This puts into context the work that still needs to be done. We will only see continued reductions with continued long-term investment in young people. There is a clear link between the support available to young people and the levels of youth violence and knife crime. 

"When budgets are tight, services to young people are often hit hard, when this has happened in the past, violence has increased. To continue to see decreases in knife violence, it is imperative that services for children and young people are protected and considered essential."