The statistics on knife crime in Thames Valley are remarkably positive. The lockdown restrictions that we all endured last year unsurprisingly had the side-effect of reducing many types of crime, but even taking this into account, serious violence, including knife crime is down and across Thames Valley.
The latest figures show that, by population, we currently have the lowest levels of serious violence of any police force in England and Wales.
This welcome trend is however no excuse for complacency. We’ve all seen the headlines that retell the tragedy of lives lost and families broken. These statistics that show the successes of proactive policing are of little comfort to those who have had loved ones ripped away from them in recent months through the unthinking violence of others. Too many families will face this Christmas with an aching wound that will never fully heal.
Effective though the approach by the police is proving to be, the problem is one that goes beyond law enforcement.
When knives are involved, the difference between a serious assault or a murder can be just a matter of inches, or the speed of the emergency response. This truth is even more stark when looking at the age of some of those involved. Although the police will be dealing with gangs and drug offences we’re often not talking about hardened criminals, but children who are making - sometime fatal - mistakes.
That’s why the police cannot solve this problem alone. My Violence Reduction Unit brings together schools, social services, the NHS and others, seeking to get ahead of the problem. Changing attitudes, identifying those at risk of becoming involved in violent crime and attempting to prevent things from escalating out of control.
We all have a role to play. If you know or suspect someone is carry a knife, please report it to the police by calling 101. Often people are nervous of criminalising family and friends, but early intervention will mean a proportionate response and may prevent the most serious consequences next year, next month or next week. Your call might save a life.
The approach of proactive policing, taking knives off our streets, whilst also working to stop young people picking up weapons in the first place is getting traction and we’re seeing those successes in falling rates of violent crime.
Of course for those who mourn lives lost or irrevocably altered there are no words of comfort I can offer to ease the pain this Christmas. The evidence is however that we’re moving in the right direction and there is hope that we will see fewer families suffering the same way in the future.
