A troubling new map highlights the Gloucestershire neighborhoods where weapon-related crimes are most prevalent, underscoring the urgent need for greater action against knife crime. In 2024, Gloucestershire recorded 430 weapons offences—an increase from 408 the previous year and the highest total in over a decade.
Across England and Wales, police documented nearly 58,000 weapons offences last year, including possession of knives, firearms, and other weapons. While this figure is about 850 fewer than in 2023—the first decline since the pandemic—possession of knives and similar bladed articles reached a record high of 28,000 offences. Additionally, crimes involving possession of weapons other than knives or guns soared to 22,000.
The overall reduction was largely due to an 8% drop in firearm-related crimes. Meanwhile, a knife amnesty initiative is currently underway in Gloucestershire, aiming to remove illegal blades from the streets.
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Local data reveals that weapons offences are concentrated mainly in town and city centers. Central Gloucester & Hempsted recorded the highest number in the county with 54 offences, followed by Matson & Robinswood (20) and Kingsholm & Wotton (19), both in Gloucester. Outside Gloucester, Cheltenham’s Lansdown & Montpellier area saw 15 offences, with Stroud Town and Tewkesbury East & Ashchurch also reporting notable figures.
These statistics, compiled for over 7,000 neighborhoods across England and Wales excluding those covered by Greater Manchester Police, represent areas with populations of 7,000 to 10,000 residents. Crimes reported at train stations are not included as they fall under British Transport Police jurisdiction.
In response to the mounting crisis, the government has introduced stringent measures. The Home Office recently announced plans to fine tech companies and their executives up to £70,000 if they fail to remove knife crime-related content from their platforms—a move aimed at curbing online influence that may incite violence. This penalty includes fines of up to £10,000 for individual executives and £60,000 for the companies.
Last year, a ban was imposed on “zombie-style” knives and machetes—bladed weapons over eight inches long often featuring serrated edges—with a national surrender scheme set to launch in July. Further actions include the implementation of two-step verification for online knife sales, an increase in prison sentences from six months to two years for selling weapons to under-18s, and a new offence criminalizing possession of a weapon with intent to cause violence, punishable by up to four years in prison.
Additionally, the government plans to consult on introducing a licensing scheme for retailers seeking to sell knives.
Crime and Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson emphasized the seriousness of the situation: “The kind of content that young people scroll through every day online is sickening, and I will not accept any notion that restricting access to this harmful material is too difficult. Our children need more from us. That is why we are now going further than ever to hold to account the tech companies who are not doing enough to safeguard young people from content which incites violence, particularly in young boys.”