‘Arms race’ on South Wales’ streets
THE NUMBER OF SERIOUS CRIMES INVOLVING KNIVES IS AT THE HIGHEST RATE FOR A DECADE. SPECIAL REPORT:
SERIOUS knife crime in South Wales is at the highest level for a decade according to new figures in what experts have called an “arms race”.
The South Wales and Gwent Police forces – which cover Wales’ three biggest cities – recorded 742 serious crimes involving knives during the last financial year, the latest crime data published shows.
This was up 54 per cent on the previous year – when a total of 569 crimes involving knives were recorded by the two police forces – and the highest total on record for figures going back to 2008/09.
In 2017/18, South Wales police recorded 630 crimes involving knives while Gwent police recorded 112.
Knives were involved in six homicides, eight rapes, four sexual assaults and 82 threats to kill last year.
In recent weeks, there have been three serious knife crimes on the streets of Cardiff alone.
On Friday a teenager was arrested after a stabbing in Rumney, four men have appeared in court charged with the stabbing murder of Malaciah Thomas in Grangetown last week and in June a 43-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm following reports of a stabbing in the Riverside area of Cardiff.
“After a long period of falling, the number of these crimes are increasing,” said Professor Martin Innes, director at the Crime and Security Research Institute at Cardiff University
“We are back to the level it was in 2007, we may even be slightly above it.”
It is not just that numbers have gone up, it is that the public perceive the amount of crime to have gone up know as “signal crime”.
According to Professor Innes there are multiple reasons for the increase in crime
“There is no simple explanation,” he said. “There are several factors at work. There are more pressures on communities due to the economic situation since 2008.
“There is also the reduction in police numbers.
“There is also how people in communities will feel threatened themselves. Those involved in street culture will be more likely to think that they need to take a knife with them.
“There are therefore more knives on the streets which means the chances of these types of crime increase – it is almost like an arms race.
“You need a full spectrum response – there is no silver bullet.
“You need to tackle issues like poverty and police numbers but also how people perceive crime.”
You are statistically at far bigger risks of a traffic accident than a being a victim of knife crime.
However due to how horrific they are, these sort of crimes receive a lot of public attention.
In response to the figures Superintendent Joanna Maal, South Wales Police’s Cardiff head of operations, said: “Knife crime has risen across the country and we are not an exception to that.
“That’s why the force has put in place bespoke measures within each of the local policing areas, including Cardiff, so that we can address the concerns of our communities, and clamp down on those who are carrying and using knives.
“This is not a one-size-fits-all tactic, but something that will ensure each area takes a specific, targeted and intelligence-led approach to tackling and responding to the needs of their respective communities.
“Part of this is seeing police officers and PCSOs out and about, at schools and community hubs, to reinforce the law and to emphasise that knife crime and carrying knives will not be tolerated.
“We work with partner organisations such as Public Health Wales and education authorities to tackle these issues, and partnership operations with local authorities and Trading Standards departments are carried out to ensure that legislation is being adhered to in respect of the sale of knives to under-18s, for example.
“Our daily business and proactivity in terms of the use of stop-search powers is being utilised, with a significant increase in the number of stopsearch encounters conducted in the first quarter of this financial year.
“We also continue to urge anyone who has any information regarding people they know to be carrying or using bladed weapons to tell us, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, where they can remain anonymous.
“There is a balance to be struck, because most people, fortunately, will never have had any experience of knife crime or its consequences. However, we are determined to address the problem where it does exist to keep the communities of South Wales safe.
“The message is simple – carrying knives is a serious crime and makes you more at risk of running into danger. If we find you with a knife illegally, you will be arrested.
“We also continue to appeal to friends and families to let us know of any concerns about loved ones carrying knives and help prevent some of the devastating consequences that knife crime can have.”