Tackling knife crime

This pack has been prepared in advance of this debate and provides information on the Government’s approach to tackling knife crime.

It outlines the main categories of offence relating to knives and offensive weapons in England and Wales: offences relating to possession and offences relating to sale and supply. It also highlights sentencing guidelines for these offences and explains the recently introduced Knife Crime Prevention Orders (KCPOs) in the Offensive Weapons Act 2019.

It provides some statistics on knife crime in England and Wales. For full statistics on knife crime, please see Library’s Knife crime statistics Briefing Paper.

It also highlights the current Government strategies for tackling knife crime. This includes the ‘public health approach’ to serious violence and the recent proposals in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Bill.