12 knife crimes a day in the region – but figure is falling
A SURGE in knife crime is a national crisis and 12 incidents a day have happened in Greater Manchester since 2020 according to figures released by the force.
Between November 2020 and May 2023 the number totalled 10,864.
The highest number, which accounted for 13 per cent of all incidents, were in the North Manchester district of GMP.
Salford had the second highest rate where 10.2 percent of incidents occurred.
But GMP say an operation to tackle knife crime is proving successful and a 10-year strategy to deal with violence will bolster attempts to reduce the number of incidents.
It was reported last week how a baby-faced teenager left a man needing 30 stitches in his face after a squabble over a nightclub booth erupted into violence.
Riley Jackson, 19, pulled out a knife and slashed his victim’s cheek ‘without warning’ after he tried to challenge Jackson for sitting in the booth his group had paid for in a city centre nightclub.
The 19-year-old was jailed for five years after the brutal assault, which took place in April this year and left his victim with permanent scarring.
Knife crime has fallen by 16 per cent in Greater Manchester despite rising across England and
Wales. Mayor Andy Burnham says there is more work to be done to tackle it.
The city-region still has one of the highest levels of knife crime in the country.
Between June 2022 and July 2023, there were 3,012 knife or sharp instrument offences recorded in Greater Manchester which is 16 per cent less than the year before.
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police saw a 21 per cent rise in incidents during that period in London.
Earlier this month,
GMP revealed that more than 300 people have been arrested with 90 weapons taken off the streets as part of Operation Venture which has seen specialist officers deployed to violent crime hotspots across the city-region since late autumn last year.
In response to a Freedom of Information request by Personalinjuryclaimsuk. org GMP gave a breakdown of knife crime incidents for each district from November 20220 to May 2023. The total number for the period was 10,864.
The figures for each district were:
● City of Manchester North, 1416, 13%
● Salford, 1113. 10.2%
● City of Manchester Central,1102, 10%
● Bolton, 1009, 9.2%
● Wigan, 906, 8.3%
● Rochdale, 902, 8.3%
● Oldham, 889, 8.2%
● City of Manchester South, 794, 7.3%
● Tameside, 789, 7.2%
● Stockport, 708, 6.5%
● Bury, 637
● Trafford, 568
● Manchester Airport 1
● Unknown precise location 30
Operation Venture, GMP’S response to serious violence and knife crime, was set up in December
2022.
Over the past year they have made over 350 arrests.
More than 1,000 stop searches have been conducted, 353 resulting in action taken against the person who was searched.
In a statement GMP said: “In Greater Manchester we have already seen reductions in knife crime - between the year ending June 2022 and the year ending June 2023, knife crime decreased by
12.5% across all ages, and
13.5% for victims under age 25.
“Officers within Operation Venture have also conducted 151 disruption visits - these are visits to prolific knife carriers to ensure they are complying with bail conditions. The team also works in partnership with Greater Manchester’s Violence Reduction Unit - a multi-agency team that seeks to address the underlying causes of violence and works together with communities to prevent it.”
A 10-year violence reduction strategy has been implemented in Greater Manchester “to tackle serious violence, and safeguard vulnerable people, on a long-term basis.” It will see GMP work with other agencies.