New figures suggest knife crime in Oxford is at its lowest level in five years though questions are still being asked over persistence of the "unacceptable violence".
Politicians and community leaders came together on Monday (September 2) this week to discuss how to tackle the issues at the Oxford Knife and Crime Summit.
Data from Thames Valley police publicised by the council indicates there were 144 'knife enabled crimes' in 2019/20 in Oxford but this figure has dropped gradually reaching 89 in 2023/24.
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The news comes after the Oxford Mail launched an anti-knife crime campaign in April in response to a spate of serious incidents in the city.
Labour council leader Susan Brown said: "Following a number of shocking knife crimes earlier this year which shook local communities in Oxford, I tasked city council officers and the cabinet member for a Safer Oxford to set up a summit of all the key people to exchange good practice and see what more we could do.
"I would like to reassure residents that actually, knife crime in Oxford is at the lowest level in five years. This is thanks to the work of local organisations, including youth groups, domestic violence charities, Thames Valley Police and the councils."
Thames Valley Police officials have also shared their relief at the latest statistics though police and crime commissioner Matthew Barber said "we can never be complacent".
This comes as east Oxford householder and Cowley Road restaurant worker Amir Steve Ali said "knife crime hasn't stopped or been resolved" and expressed renewed concern over a "lack" of police on the streets.
Mr Ali also suggested the Covid pandemic may have influenced statistics.
He added: "What we really need to hear is that knife crime won’t happen anymore and is preventable.
"To make that happen – we need more police on the streets – this is what everyone should be working on.
"They need to put posters up in Oxford giving the consequences of knife crime – such as two or three years in prison - because many people don't think like that."
The council has pointed out that across England and Wales, incidents of knife crime increased by 0.04 per cent in the last year - though these related to 'serious offences' as opposed to 'knife enabled crimes'.
Superintendent Bruce Riddell, commander for the Oxford policing area, said: “I am pleased that the latest stats show both knife crime and serious violence are at the lowest level in the city for the past five years but we still have a lot of work to do to tackle this issue.
“Our partnership-based approach to tackling knife crime remains a priority for all agencies, ensuring we maintain the momentum of recent activity to address the root causes of why people are drawn into carrying weapons and any associated criminality.
“This includes raising awareness in educational sessions with schools and colleges; providing interventions at an earlier stage for those identified as being at risk of involvement in this activity; and additional patrols in our serious violence hotspots.
“Whilst we continue to take a robust and proactive approach, our communities continue to play a vital role in our fight against knife crime."
Jabu Nala-Hartley - a Barton resident, former city councillor, and campaigner in relation to knife violence - said she thought an influence on the statistics could be that young people are not reporting incidents as much.
She added: "They don't like dealing with the police.
"Some have even run away from hospitals because they don’t want to say who stabbed them."
Police and crime commissioner Matthew Barber suggested there are many initiatives the force has launched in relation to youth.
He added: “I am pleased that the Op Deter Youth programme will soon be rolling out in Oxfordshire.
"I've made additional funding available to ensure the Youth Offending Service can respond within 90 minutes when the police arrest a young person for knife possession."
Councillor Lubna Arshad, cabinet member for a safer Oxford, said: "Knife crime affects everyone in our community, and it's only by working together that we can make meaningful change."
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About the author
Noor is the Local Democracy Reporter for Oxfordshire who covers political stories from across the county.
She began working as a journalist in Oxford in September 2023 having graduated from the University of Oxford.
Noor was trained at the News Associates journalism school and can be found on X through the handle @NoorJQurashi
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