More people who commit knife crime are facing justice – but fewer are being sent straight to prison.
Anti-knife crime charity the Ben Kinsella Trust said many victims would be horrified to see more knife carriers returning to the streets rather than behind bars.
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures show 19,543 knife and offensive weapon offences across England and Wales resulted in someone being cautioned or convicted in 2021.
That was up from 18,502 in 2020, but was still well below the 22,452 recorded in 2019 – a drop at least partly driven by Covid-19 restrictions.
The figures count possession of, or threatening with, an object with a blade or point or anything made or adapted to injure someone, such as a hollow walking stick containing a blade.
Of the offences dealt with last year, 5,765 (29%) resulted in immediate custody, which means prison for someone aged 21 or over and detention in a young offender institution for those aged 18 to 20.
That was down from 6,250 (34%) in 2020 and 8,548 (38%) in 2019, and was also the lowest proportion since 2013.
The MoJ said it was likely that this was affected by changes during the pandemic, such as the types of cases prioritised by the courts.
The proportion receiving a suspended sentence rose over the period, from 20% in 2019 to 25% last year.
This means someone serves their sentence in the community, including by doing unpaid work, though they can be sent to prison if they don’t comply or commit another crime.
In 2021, a further 25% were given community sentences, which can involve unpaid work, curfews or requirements to complete drug or alcohol treatment.
Of all the offences dealt with by the courts last year, 673 involved the more serious crime of threatening someone with a knife or offensive weapon, down from 749 in 2020 and 914 in 2019.
Of those, 345 (51%) resulted in someone being sent straight to prison – down from 59% the previous year and 61% in 2019.
Patrick Green, chief executive of the Ben Kinsella Trust, said the overall drop in knife crime during the pandemic was broadly expected given long periods of lockdown.
He added: “More worryingly, these figures show a significant decrease in the number of offenders being sent to prison for their offences.
“This sudden change in sentencing appears to be linked to the courts struggling to deal with a huge backlog of cases following the pandemic.
“Many victims will be horrified to see that knife carriers are now more likely to be returned to the streets rather than to end up in jail.”
An MoJ spokesperson said: “Those caught carrying a knife are more likely to be sent to jail, and for longer, than they were a decade ago.
“The 20,000 extra police officers we are recruiting will help to bring more criminals before the courts and our Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act will ensure the most serious and violent offenders spend longer behind bars.”
