Contents
- Serious Violence Strategy 2025 Foreword
- Introduction and Executive Summary
- Partnership Delivery in 2024
- A ‘Public Health’ Approach to Violent Crime
- Our Community
- Serious Violence Duty
- Violence and Vulnerability Reduction Action Plan
- School 'Inclusion' Policy
- Key Considerations
- Co-ordinated Communications
- Appendix A – Serious Violence Crime Data
- Appendix B – Serious Violence SNA Summary
- Appendix C - Useful Links
- Appendix D – Glossary of Terms
- Appendix E – Partnership Delivery in 2024
Appendix A – Serious Violence Crime Data
This appendix is refreshed annually and contributed to in part by the JSA.
Annual comparable data will be compared to gauge the direction of travel of serious violence offences and provide evidence on the impact of the strategy.
| Knife crime offences | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | No. difference on previous year | % difference on previous year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knife crime | 166 | 168 | 192 | 232 | 218 | -14 | -6.09 |
| Knife crime with injury | 51 | 49 | 71 | 73 | 61 | -12 | -16.4 |
| Knife injury victims (under 25 years old) | 14 | 15 | 26 | 37 | 16 | -21 | -56.8 |
Source: Met.police.uk
The table above shows that total knife crime offences in Bexley have steadily increased the previous four years since the ending of any Covid-19 restrictions, with a total of 232 offences in 2023. However, in 2024 we saw a very slight decrease of 6%, representing 14 offences.
Knife crime ‘with injury’ offences in Bexley also saw a steady increase between 2020 and 2023, with a change of direction and 16% decrease last year, being 12 offences. by 38% over the past four years from a total of 53 offences in 2019 to 73 offences in 2023.
When we look at Knife Injury Victims (under 25 years old), we can see a large increase of 42% over 2020 to 2023. However, 2024 shows a significant decrease of over half, from 37 to 16 offences.
This is in line with the trends London-wide, which had a 7.2% decrease in Knife Crime Offences in 2024. To put these knife crime figures for Bexley into context, they represent just 1.3% of the total London knife offence figures in 2024. Not being complacent however, this is a percentage that the CSP don’t wish to see increase and will monitor closely. Indeed, our long-term percentage increase bucks the pan-London trend. This could be due to the dispersal of serious violence offences into the borough from other more targeted areas, less funding support for a borough that continually performs well against other boroughs, and a dedicated increase in Met operations targeting Knife Crime in 2024.
| Major crime category | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | No. difference on previous year | % difference on previous year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burglary | 1030 | 757 | 795 | 921 | 804 | -117 | -12.7 |
| Drugs | 826 | 905 | 764 | 712 | 710 | -2 | -0.3 |
| Robbery | 309 | 188 | 264 | 352 | 324 | -28 | -8 |
| Violence Against The Person (VATP) | 5309 | 5346 | 5755 | 6000 | 5,164 | -836 | -13.9 |
Source: Met.police.uk
The table above shows year on year comparison data for offences that have a crossover into the serious violence strategy themes. In 2024, we have seen a notable reduction in Burglary and Robbery offences, with a 13% and 8% reduction respectively. The marked reduction in Burglary may be a result of more people working from home wince lockdown and an increased awareness and investment in home safety deterrents.
The change in Drugs Offences is minimal, and this is perhaps a result of increase operations and support for drug misuse and offences, which may result in alternative responses to Drug Offences and increased awareness of risks. As the drugs market is a recognised key driver for violent crime, gangs and Organised Crime Groups, a co-ordinated, multi-agency approach to tackling this themed area is being led through the Government's 10-year drug strategy ‘From harm to hope’. Locally, this is being delivered by the Bexley Combating Drugs Partnership (CDP) Board. This looks at the three key areas of Supply, Demand & Treatment and is creating a Joint Strategic Assessment and associated action plan to direct and assist partners in its delivery.
We have seen a decrease of 14% in Violence Against the Person (VATP) offences in 2024 with 5,164 Offences compared to 6000 in 2023. There was a 5.3% decrease across London, and therefore Bexley shows a much more significant decrease in VATP Offences. This is a positive reduction and something we hope will be an ongoing trend.
| Gun crime offences | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | No. difference on previous year | % difference on previous year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gun crime | 41 | 26 | 27 | 37 | 30 | 35 | +5 | +16.7 |
| Lethal barrel discharge | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | -3 | -100 |
| Gun crime - personal robbery | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | +3 | +100 |
Source: Met.police.uk
The above table shows year on year comparison data for gun crime offences. Thankfully, offence numbers in this area are low and in 2024 we saw a reduction in lethal barrel discharge to nil. However, we saw an increase of 17% in overall Gun Crime Offences in 2024, however, notably this is a large percentage due to low number off offences overall in Bexley, with the 17% representing just 5 offences. Gun Crime (personal robbery) doubled, although the numbers were very low – up 13 to 6 offences. Across London there was an increase in Gun Crime of 29.7% in 2024 with 1,932 Offences from 1,462 in 2023. Comparatively, therefore, Bexley’s offence figures’ increase is low and represents 1.8% of all London Gun Crime offences.
As mentioned, Bexley is not a named ‘gang borough’ where extra resources have been provided to tackle gangs and serious violence. A consequence of this is that gang activity can be displaced to ‘quieter’ neighbouring boroughs. However, since the Southeast BCU was created; Bexley has benefitted from improved joint working with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). This includes enhanced information sharing, data collection and the deployment of resources across all three boroughs based on threat, risk, and harm.