Newham recorded approximately 921 knife-enabled offences in the most recent 12-month reporting window, placing it among the highest in London by volume. Croydon logged around 751 offences across the same period, continuing a pattern of elevated levels compared with many other outer London boroughs. Southwark recorded approximately 731 offences, with several serious incidents in the borough during early 2026 adding to existing community concern.
The borough-level figures sit against a contrasting national backdrop. The most recent data for England and Wales showed an overall reduction in knife crime compared with previous years, a trend that has not translated evenly across London. While some boroughs have recorded year-on-year reductions, others continue to show totals that remain significantly above the capital’s average.
Policing experts have noted that recorded offence figures reflect both the underlying level of violence in an area and the intensity of enforcement activity, including stop-and-search operations and targeted hotspot patrols, meaning higher recorded numbers do not always indicate a straightforward rise in incidents.
Community leaders across the three boroughs have continued to push for sustained investment in youth intervention programmes, expanded neighbourhood policing and long-term preventative strategies, arguing that enforcement alone is insufficient to drive down persistent levels of knife-enabled violence.
London authorities face an ongoing challenge in translating national improvements into consistent reductions at borough level, with the latest data making clear that progress remains fragmented across the capital.
