Stats prove Tory ‘failure to act’ on knives
KNIFE crime has at least doubled in a third of areas since the Tories came to power, figures reveal.
And some of the largest increases were in Tory shires – with Surrey hardest-hit by a 598% rise, then Sussex on 259% and Norfolk on 183%.
Over the past 10 years, homicides involving a knife have risen by 16%, while knifepoint robberies are up 31%, an analysis by Labour found. Last year, Boris Johnson said he would lead a new Cabinet committee focused on tackling crime.
But latest statistics show that, prior to lockdown, knife crime was on the rise.
Sarah Jones, Shadow Minister for Policing and Fire, said: “Knife crime has risen as a result of Tory cuts to police and preventative services. The Government have spent years announcing summits, strategies and taskforces – but they have failed to act.”
Kit Malthouse, Minister of State for Policing, last night insisted the Tories are now “hiring 20,000 additional police officers, investing millions to tackle county lines and locking violent criminals up for longer”.