Knife crime
Knife crime can involve many things, including just buying or carrying an illegal knife. In recent years, laws on selling and carrying knives have been tightened, and punishments for knife offences increased. Before you consider buying a knife, make sure its legal.
What is knife crime?
Knife crime is any crime that involves a knife.
This can include:
- carrying or trying to buy a knife if youre under 18
- threatening people with a knife
- carrying an illegal kind of knife
- murder or assault in which the victim was stabbed with a knife
- robbery or burglary where the thieves carried a knife as a weapon
Carrying a knife
If you carry a knife to protect yourself or make yourself feel safer but dont intend to use it then you are committing a crime.You are also more likely to become a victim of crime.
Your own knife can be used against you.
If you do want to know more about protecting yourself, there are much easier and safer ways to do it.You could, for example, take a self-defence course offered by your local council, or at a gym.
Basic rules on knives
If youre planning to buy or carry a knife, its important to know the rules. Anyone found breaking these laws can face up to four years in prison.
These include:
- it is illegal for any shop to sell a knife of any kind (including cutlery and kitchen knives) to anyone under the age of 18
- it is a crime to carry a knife in public without good reason for example, if you work as a chef
- the maximum penalty for an adult carrying a knife is four years in prison and a fine of 5000
- it is illegal to carry, buy or sell any type of knife banned by the government (the list of banned knives is below)
- knives with folding blades, like Swiss Army knives, are not illegal as long as the blade is three inches long (7.62 cms) or less
- if any knife is used in a threatening way (even a legal knife, such as a Swiss Army knife), it is regarded as an 'offensive weapon' by the law
- any sharp instrument even a screwdriver can be viewed by the police as an illegal offensive weapon if you do not have a good reason for carrying it
Illegal knives
There is a complete ban on the sale of some knives, which are considered to be offensive weapons.
These include:
- flick knives - knives where the blade is hidden inside the handle and shoots out when a button is pressed; these are also called 'switchblades' or 'automatic knives'
- butterfly knives - where the blade is hidden inside a handle that splits in two around it, like wings; the handles swing around the blade to open or close it
- disguised knives - where the blade is hidden inside something like a belt buckle or fake mobile phone
- gravity knives
- sword-sticks
- samurai swords
- hand-claws
- foot-claws
- belt-buckle knives
- push daggers
- kubotan (cylindrical container, holding spikes)
- shuriken (also known as 'death stars' or 'throwing stars')
- kusari-gama (sickle attached to a rope, cord or wire)
- kyoketsu-shoge (hook-knife attached to a rope, cord or wire)
- kusari (weight attached to a rope, cord or wire)
This is not a complete list. If you think a knife youre buying might be illegal, please check with your local police force.
- Find a police force, neighbourhood policing team or police authority
Reporting knife crime anonymously
If you have information about knife crime and you're nervous about going to the police, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They will never ask for your name or try to trace the number that you're calling from.
What can you do about knife crime?
Police and local councils regularly run anti-knife campaigns, and if youre upset or scared by knife crime, you might want to get involved. These usually involve events designed to let you know about problems in your area, and they give you the chance to talk with other people about the issues.
If you're interested, contact your neighbourhood policing team.You can also just stop by your nearest police station to find out about anti-knife activities in your area.
- Find a police force, neighbourhood policing team or police authority
More useful links
- Your rights and the justice system
- Anti-social behaviour
- Keeping your child safe from knife crime
This content is subject to Crown Copyright
- Source:
- DirectGov
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