New figures reveal most knife crime offenders in Cambridgeshire had no similar previous convictions

A call for action has gone out after new figures revealed the number of first time knife-crime offenders in Cambridgeshire

Data shows nearly three quarters of knife crime offenders appearing in Cambridgeshire courts had no previous knife-related convictions or cautions.

Anti-knife crime charity the Ben Kinsella Trust says the data suggests that ‘for some, carrying knives has become normalised behaviour’ and there is an urgent need to address this trend.

The figures, released by the Ministry of Justice, show that 181 first-time knife criminals in Cambridgeshire went through the criminal justice system in the year ending March 2023.

They account for 71 per cent of all those found guilty of knife and offensive weapon offences.

Of these, only 17 per cent were jailed immediately.

But the figures also reveal that the number of children aged under 18 in Cambridgeshire caught with knives has also risen

Patrick Green, the trust’s chief executive, said the statistics showed the law is not providing a sufficient deterrent.

He warned many first-time knife criminals would go on to become serial offenders.

In Cambridgeshire, offenders were cautioned or sentenced 255 times for knife-related crimes.

Of those, 72 (28 per cent) resulted in immediate jail sentences compared to 33 per cent in 2019-20.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary caught children aged under 18 with knives 49 times in 2022-23 – up on 43 the year before.

Mr Green said: “One possibility is young people are feeling increasingly unsafe and are mistakenly carrying knives for protection.

“Protecting our youth and fostering a safe environment for all should be a government priority.”

He added children are also influenced by social media, which ‘often portrays knives in a glamorised way’ and said young people must be provided with the support, education, and opportunities to steer them away from violence.

Across England and Wales, the proportion of offenders sent into immediate custody for a knife offence fell from 37 per cent in the year ending March 2020 to 30 per cent this year.

Of those cautioned or sentenced, 90 per cent were men, down on 94 per cent the year before.

Overall, there were 19,086 knife offences resulting in a caution or sentence in England and Wales to March this year, which was a dip on last year’s 9,674.