Concern as Knife Crime in the UK rises

Knife crime in the UK has gone on a concerning rise as knife attacks on teenagers go up by 93% in the five years. Homicides using a knife committed by those under 18 years of age rose by 77% from 2016-2018, from 26 to 46 incidents. One of the most prominent cases is that of Jodie Chesney, a 17-year-old student who was tragically murdered in Harold Hill, Romford two years ago.

Flowers in Harold Hill Park where Jodie Chesney was murdered two years ago Credit: PA, The Independent

In the wake of the murder of Chesney, the UK charity Take A Knife Save A Life or Taskal was established. This charity aims to spread awareness of knife crime and members of the public volunteer to do public patrols to limit knife crime and make local areas safer.

Southend campaign group Young Lives Matter has recently collaborated with Take A Knife Save A Life to spread the word about the dangers of knife crime in Essex.

Last November, Essex Police took part in Operation Sceptre, which ran during the 9 to 15 November. 21 people were arrested. In five of those cases, knives were recovered whilst stop and searches were being carried out. 46 knives in total were seized during the week.

A report published by The Ministry of Justice shows that for just under 3 quarters of offenders (72%), this was their first knife or offensive weapon possession offence.

Essex Police are dedicated to combatting knife crime and they said: “We are committed to doing everything we can to tackle serious violence, particularly knife crime, and are working hard with other organisations to keep people safe and address the complex issues behind why some people carry weapons or become involved in violent behaviour”