Knife crime wasn’t generally measured in the United Kingdom until around 2015.
Now there are regular almanacs published on the topic, the most recent last month.
In the 12 months ending March 2025, the UK suffered more than 53,000 knife crimes, which they define as “threats, assaults, robberies, and homicide” (among others).
“London’s knife crime victims are sewing themselves up, mayor says” was the headline on a 2019 article by CNN’s Lauren Said-Moorhouse.
Knife crime occurs daily.
So what is to be done? The crisis seems to be never-ending and growing.
Common-Sense Knife Control?
That’s the only answer.
Some of the policy suggestions in the UK have included:
Blunting the Points on All Knives: every kitchen knife in the UK must be rounded off at the tip to prevent stabbings. Yes, that was a real policy discussed in a BBC documentary on knife crime.
Installing Machete Drop Boxes: suggested in the UK, trialed in Australia, and ridiculed globally.
Taxes on kitchen knives.
A Blade-Length Sentencing Formula: Automatic prison time of 1 year per centimeter of blade for mere possession (e.g., a 10cm knife = 10 years), doubling if used.
Banning and Licensing All Swords/Knives: Outright prohibit owning any bladed item over a certain length with licenses to those deemed “worthy”.
Permanent Knife Detection Devices in transport hubs, shopping centres, and club entrances (these security “arches” are already in place in parts of Croydon, Stratford, and Birmingham).
Still… the tragedies keep rolling in.
What might be a root cause?
Consider this table from Grok related to migration into the UK from non-EU countries in Africa and the Middle East:
Is assimilation — or lack thereof — related to the surge in knife crime?
For example, in 1948 there were 10 mosques in the UK.
Today there are over 2,800.
Is there an assimilation problem? Is that what changed?
Perhaps someday scientists will discover the root cause.
All of this — of course — should give America’s anti-self-defense crowd pause.
Should.
But won’t.
There are multiple lessons for America.
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I recall stoning was once big among certain cultures.
When they’ve gotten rid of all the knives, (any pretty much anything that can be sharpened into one, like pencils, or toothbrushes), will they then have to confiscate all the rocks?
Seems to be a problem with no solution, no solution at all. Hmmm 🤔