Dagenham Police Actions Against Knife Crime Offenders In Freefall
Nearly 2,000 people have been victims of knife-related crimes in Barking and Dagenham in the last five years.
Police in Barking and Dagenham are taking action against over 50% fewer knife crime suspects than before.
Since 2014, 1,909 people have been victims of knife-related crimes in Barking and Dagenham. Crime peaked in 2017, when 479 people were victimised.
Police proceedings plummet
In the same time period, just 512 people were proceeded against by the police for committing knife-related crimes. The ratio of victims to suspects proceeded against has gone from 3:1 in 2014, to nearly 10:1 in 2018. In 2018, just 41 suspects were subject to police action, down from 101 in 2014, with a peak of 161 in 2015.
Both the single largest group of victims and suspects were White British. Over the five year period, 16 and 17 year olds were most frequently victims, and 16 year olds were most frequently suspects, followed by 18 year olds and 17 year olds.
The Metropolitan Police declined the opportunity to comment on these findings.
Why did students cover this topic?
Danielle, 14, and Sabirah, 14, London, said “The story we have covered is significant to us because it is relevant to our everyday lives in this area. The epidemic of knife crime is very apparent in our society and environment, affecting our day-to-day lives. In the media, older generations often cover knife crime, and we think it is important that children experiencing it firsthand tell this story.”