First-time knife offenders accounted for over 70 per cent of cautions or convictions for knife crime in Derbyshire

Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures show 204 first-time knife crime offenders in Derbyshire went through the criminal justice system in the year ending September 2023.

They accounted for 73 per cent of the total 280 criminals found guilty of knife and offensive weapon offences – an increase from 66 per cent the year before.

Across England and Wales however, the proportion of first-time offenders for knife and offensive weapon offences fell slightly from 70 per cent in 2022 to 69 per cent last year.

It was the lowest proportion of first-time offenders recorded over the past decade.

Of the offenders dealt with by Derbyshire Constabulary 59 (21 per cent) were children.

Thirty-three per cent of knife crime offenders in Derbyshire were given an immediate sentence while 21 per cent received a suspended sentence.

Around 21 per cent of them were given community sentences and 12 per cent were cautioned.

Commenting on the data, a spokesman for Deryshire Constabulary said: “We are all too aware of the tragic consequences of carrying a knife and while we do all we can to divert those young people away who may be carrying them or thinking about carrying them, we will also take positive action against anyone found to be carrying a knife.”

Read more: Derbyshire man appears before magistrates charged with attempted murder

However, the force has highlighted work underway to educate children and young people about the consequences and impacts of carrying a knife.

Derbyshire Constabulary’s youth engagement officer Julie Berry said in 2022 it had launched a “first of its kind board game called Shattered.

She said: “The aim of Shattered is to show children the game of chance they are playing if they carry a knife – and the destruction it can cause.

“Our Shattered game and input is available to all secondary schools and forms part of our wider youth engagement strategy. It has been delivered to many schools in Derbyshire and has drawn positive feedback from those who have taken part.”

Ms Berry said the force was also working on “a new input” around knife crime tailored to primary school children which it is hoped will be rolled out across the county over the next few months.

She added: “It is clear that involvement in knife crime often forms part of wider criminality so it is important to put preventative measures in place as early as possible.

"We know that those who carry a knife are more likely to be victims themselves and rather than keeping them safe as they think a knife will, it actually puts them in greater danger.

“Officers and our youth engagement team work closely with partner agencies to advise and encourage young people to think about their behaviours and signpost them to organisations who can help to educate them and divert them away from crime.”

Speaking about the new MoJ figures, anti-knife crime charity the Ben Kinsella Trust said the high proportion of first time offenders was a "red flag", showing more investment into preventative measures was needed.

Patrick Green, chief executive of the Ben Kinsella Trust, said: "While all knife crime is unacceptable, the high proportion of first-time offenders is a red flag. It exposes a cycle where people are often drawn into violence and face potentially life-altering consequences.

"This is not just a criminal justice issue, but a societal one demanding a multifaceted response."