The number of knife crime incidents in Dorset has gone down, replicating a theme across most of the South West.
Latest government data on knife and sharp instrument offences in 2023/24 recorded by Dorset Police are marginally lower than in 2022/23.
Between March 2023 and March 2024, there were 306 cases of sharp instrument offences recorded by Dorset Police.
This equates to 39 incidents per 100,000 people, more than half the national average in England and Wales.
The force have recorded 39 incidents per 100,000 since March 2021, with figures steadily rising after 2017.
Recorded knife crime incidents across England and Wales had risen by 6% in 2022/23, but reduced by 0.6% in Dorset.
Only Wiltshire had recorded fewer sharp instrument offences than Dorset per capita in the South West.
But the South West region saw a 14% increase in recorded offences overall, with a 25% rise in Avon and Somerset.
A table of results can be seen below.
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