Knife Crime in England: 2024 Statistics, Hotspots, and Regional Insights

Local Authorities with the Most Possession of Weapon Offences

Over the last year, more than 50,000 possession of weapons offences were recorded across England and Wales, averaging 9.31 offences per 10,000 people. The figures below highlight the local authorities with the highest rates of possession offences, significantly exceeding the national average.

Crawley

70.84 possession of weapon offences per 10,000 people

Crawley takes the top spot, with a possession offence rate of 70.84 per 10,000 people. In total, 854 possession of weapon offences were recorded in Crawley, the fifth-highest total in England despite its smaller population.

City of London

68.34 possession of weapon offences per 10,000 people

The City of London comes in second, with 68.34 possession of weapon offences per 10,000 people. While it has the second smallest population of any local authority, the City of London recorded more possession offences than over 100 other local authorities, with a total of 92 incidents.

Birmingham

24.76 possession of weapon offences per 10,000 people

Birmingham completes the top three, with a rate of 24.76 possession offences per 10,000 people. In total, Birmingham recorded nearly 3,000 offences, making it the local authority with the highest total number of possession offences. This was more than double the figure reported in Manchester, which recorded 1,280 offences.

The Worst Police Force Areas for Knife Crime by Region

Below, we highlight the worst police force areas in each region for serious offences involving a knife.

London, City of London

52.78 serious knife crimes per 10,000 people

London recorded the highest rate of serious knife crimes in the UK, with the City of London leading the region at 52.78 offences per 10,000 people. This makes it the most dangerous police force area for knife crime in the country. Some experts and politicians have suggested that a lack of police funding over the last decade has contributed to the rise in violent crime, including knife-related offences.

North East, Cleveland

14.02 serious knife crimes per 10,000 people

The North East ranks as the second-worst region for serious knife crimes, with Cleveland recording 14.02 offences per 10,000 people. According to Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Hodgson of Cleveland Police, around a third of serious violent offences in the area involve young people under the age of 24.

Yorkshire and the Humber, South Yorkshire

10.72 serious knife crimes per 10,000 people

Yorkshire and the Humber is the third-worst region for serious knife offences, with South Yorkshire reporting 10.72 knife crimes per 10,000 people. Within South Yorkshire, Sheffield is the most dangerous city, with a crime rate of 91 offences per 1,000 people. In 2020, the city saw nearly 10 people hospitalised daily due to violent attacks.

The Role of the SIA in Combating Knife Crime

With Cleveland, London, and South Yorkshire topping the charts for serious knife crime in the UK, the role of well-trained security professionals is more important than ever. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) plays a key part in regulating and overseeing the training and licensing of security professionals, ensuring they are equipped to respond effectively to such challenges.

Security officers are often the first line of defence in many public and private spaces, from shopping centres and nightlife venues to transport hubs. Proper SIA-approved training helps security professionals develop the skills needed to manage potentially violent situations, deter crime, and support law enforcement. This training includes conflict management, risk assessment, and spotting early signs of trouble—all of which can help reduce the likelihood of knife-related incidents.

How Get Licensed is Making a Difference

At Get Licensed, we are proud to contribute to this effort by offering high-quality, SIA-approved training for aspiring security professionals. Through our security training courses, candidates not only meet the legal requirements for obtaining their SIA licence but also gain practical skills to help create safer environments for everyone.

By training more skilled and confident security personnel, we’re helping to address the root causes of violent crime, such as anti-social behaviour, and empowering individuals to play an active role in making their communities safer.

Conclusion

Knife crime in the UK remains a critical issue, particularly in regions such as the City of London, Cleveland, and South Yorkshire continuing to face high rates of violent offences. While overall knife crime has decreased by 8.23% over the last five years, certain offences—such as knife-related robberies in London—are on the rise.

These trends highlight the urgent need for effective measures to address knife crime and ensure public safety. Security professionals play a crucial role in this effort. From patrolling high-risk areas to managing safety in public spaces, their presence helps deter crime and protect communities. Through SIA-approved training, organisations like Get Licensed empower security personnel with the skills needed to assess risks, handle conflict, and respond to threats effectively.

A comprehensive approach is essential to combat knife crime. By combining law enforcement, community initiatives, and the expertise of trained security officers, we can create safer environments and reduce the impact of violent crime across England.

Methodology

This report is based on data sourced from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which provides detailed records of knife crime incidents across police force areas in England and Wales. The following categories of knife crime were analysed:

• Attempted murder offences involving a knife
• Threats to kill offences involving a knife
• Assault with injury and assault with intent to cause serious harm offences involving a knife
• Robbery offences involving a knife
• Rape and sexual assault offences involving a knife
• Homicide offences involving a knife

Using population figures from the ONS dataset, we calculated the rate of each type of knife crime per 10,000 people.

To present a comprehensive overview for London, data from the City of London and the Metropolitan Police areas were combined to produce a single figure.

Additionally, we calculated year-on-year changes in knife crime rates for each area, as well as the percentage change over the last five years, which was used to rank police force areas by the scale of increase or decrease.

For possession of weapon offences, we utilised ONS crime data to determine the total number of incidents per local authority. This was then paired with ONS’s population data to calculate the rate of offences per 10,000 people.