Knife Crimes Hit Record High in England and Wales Amid ‘Rising Tide of Violent Crime’

A forensic officer carries a knife from a crime scene after an incident in which four boys were stabbed in London on Aug. 17, 2018. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

LONDON—Knife crime in England and Wales has risen to its highest-ever level, with a new report noting over 39,000 edged-weapon offenses committed during the past year.

Britain’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Oct. 18 that the total of 39,332 recorded knife crimes between July 2017 and June 2018 represents a 12 percent rise in violent crime involving edged weapons and other sharp instruments.