Surge in knife related crimes
LOCAL AND SPECIALIST POLICE TEAMS WORK AROUND THE CLOCK ON KNIFE CRIME
THE number of knife-related crimes reported in west London has surged over the past 12 months, according to Metropolitan Police figures.
While the Met is yet to publish official knife crime data for March 2018, it confirmed on Wednesday April 4 that 34 people have died from stabbings in the capital this year so far, including seven teenagers.
A further seven people, including three teenagers, were confirmed to have lost their lives in London shootings.
The latest Met Police data available for this year shows an alarming number of knife crimes reported in west London in January and February 2018.
The boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Hillingdon and Kensington and Chelsea have all experienced a significant rise in the number of knife crimes compared to the same months last year.
While the Met is yet to publish official, area-specific, knife crime data for March 2018, getwestlondon reported on 12 stabbings in west London during the month, three of which were fatal.
According to Met figures there has been a 23% increase in the number of knife-related crimes reported in the first two months of 2018 compared to January and February 2017.
From January 2017 to February 2017, 428 knife-related incidents were reported in the boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hillingdon, Kensignton and Chelsea and Westminster.
From January to February 2018, the number of knife-related crimes reported in these west London boroughs increased to 527 – a 23% increase.
Police chief Cressida Dick and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan have both pledged to tackle crime in the capital that led to 22 murder investigations being launched by the Met in March alone.
What is being done?
The Met is still “waiting on end of year stats” and will issue a statement, alongside its publication of full crime figures for March 2018, a spokesman said.
When asked to comment on the rise in reported knife-related crimes in west London a Met spokesman said: “We remain committed to targeting knife crime through enforcement and education but have said for some time that we need the help of the community to tackle what is a very complex issue.
“Young people who carry knives are doing so for a variety of reasons which are not always gang-related, including status, criminality and self-protection.
“But the truth is that if you carry a knife, or you are with someone who does, you are more likely to be stabbed yourself.
“Local and specialist teams work around the clock on knife crime.
“They target habitual gun and knife carriers, undertake searches for weapons, talk to young people in schools, and engage with the public at large about the role we all have to play to prevent such crime. However, the police cannot solve gun and knife crime alone.
“Our primary approach has been to work with schools to educate pupils about the dangers and consequences of carrying a weapon.
“However, with the support of schools we have also used electronic screening devices to try and identify pupils carrying weapons.
“We have also conducted covert operations to identify shops located near to schools selling knives to children.
“We continue to work closely with