It is not possible to identify those offences that are knife-related from the data centrally collected on overall recorded crime. However, since April 2007, police forces have been providing separate aggregate data on serious violence (attempted murder, GBH and robbery) involving knives and sharp instruments. Dyfed-Powys police recorded 74 such offences during 2007-08.
Available data from the Homicide Index relate to offences currently recorded as homicide where the apparent method of killing was ‘sharp instrument’, as at 12 November 2007. The number of such offences recorded by Dyfed-Powys police each year between 2002-03 and 2006-07 are given in the following table. Figures for 2007-08 are scheduled to be published in January 2009.
Year offence initially recorded3 Number 2002-03 3 2003-04 0 2004-05 0 2005-06 2 2006-07 1 1 As at 12 November 2007; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available. 2 Homicides involving any sharp instrument, including knives. 3 Offences are shown according to the year in which the police initially recorded the offence as homicide. This is not necessarily the year in which the incident took place or the year in which any court decision was made. 4 Data for 2007-08 are not yet published.