Wales was revealed as the region with the lowest knife crime rate on the same day as a Cardiff stabbing last week
The rate of knife crime is higher in England than Wales, though it is still on the rise
A man survived a stabbing in Roath last week, the same day that Wales was lauded as the region with the lowest knife crime rate.
The man in question was successfully treated at the University Hospital of Wales and remained unnamed.
Police temporarily closed Northcote Street but have made no arrests.
The BBC released data on knife crime in England and Wales that same day, Monday 5 November. The data showed that it is on the rise, though 80% of violent crimes still involve no weapons.
One chart, however, compared regions of England and Wales based on knife crime statistics during the year March 2016-March 2017.
London and Wales sit at opposite ends of the scale of regional knife crime Tompagenet
London was highest with nearly 140 knife crime offences per 100,000 people. The city totalled more than twice as many incidents as the West Midlands, which was next highest.
Wales, though, had fewer counts of knife crime than any region of England, with less than 30 in 12 months.
Despite this, South Wales Police communications officer Huw Silk says that knife crime has not dropped in Wales.
“Knife crime remains rare for the vast majority of communities in South Wales,” Huw says. “However, that does not mean we are going to get complacent about the problem. We have seen that it has risen across the UK in general, and we are no exception.”
Local police forces in South Wales have taken a unique, needs-based approach.
“This is not a one-size-fits-all tactic,” says Huw, “but will ensure each area takes a specific, targeted, intelligence-led approach.”
The BBC discussed the reasons behind rising knife crime: “The explanations for rising knife crime range from police budget cuts, to gang violence and disputes between drug dealers.”
Another potential reason is a steep decline in police stop-and-search tactics.
South Wales Police declined to comment on the Northcote Street incident, saying it is still under investigation. Crimestoppers and South Wales Police urge those with information to come forward.
