At Boris Johnson's last Mayor's Question Time Caroline Pidgeon AM, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group examined the Mayor's real record in tackling knife crime over his two terms of office.
The Mayor made tackling knife crime one of his key pledges back in 2008, claiming he would lead the "fightback" against violent crime.
However official crime figures show that after an initial fall in teenagers killed from stabbings the figures have been creeping back upwards, with 15 teenagers killed last year. More widely recorded violent offences against people have significantly increased since 2008.
Commenting on the Mayor's record Caroline Pidgeon said:
"In the last three years London has a 26% increase in violence with injury offences, a 20% increase in serious youth violence offences and a 15% increase in knife crime with injury offences."
"When you look at the facts it is quite clear that the Mayor's real record in tackling knife crime and other violence offences has fallen far short of his rhetoric.
"Sadly far more action could have been taken over the last eight to prevent stabbings and other violent offences."
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. Details of Boris Johnson's pledge to fight back against crime:
http://news.sky.com/story/601764/boris-vows-to-fight-back-against-crime
2. Violence against the person incidents since May 2008. Figures from the London Datastore:
|
May-08 |
15,970 |
|
Jun-08 |
16,022 |
|
Jul-08 |
16,385 |
|
Aug-08 |
14,584 |
|
Sep-08 |
13,869 |
|
Oct-08 |
14,546 |
|
Nov-08 |
14,185 |
|
Dec-08 |
13,238 |
|
Jan-09 |
13,593 |
|
Feb-09 |
13,066 |
|
Mar-09 |
15,208 |
|
Apr-09 |
14,213 |
|
May-09 |
15,774 |
|
Jun-09 |
15,809 |
|
Jul-09 |
15,345 |
|
Aug-09 |
15,026 |
|
Sep-09 |
14,193 |
|
Oct-09 |
14,798 |
|
Nov-09 |
14,312 |
|
Dec-09 |
13,351 |
|
Jan-10 |
13,535 |
|
Feb-10 |
13,091 |
|
Mar-10 |
15,171 |
|
Apr-10 |
14,413 |
|
May-10 |
15,497 |
|
Jun-10 |
15,711 |
|
Jul-10 |
16,046 |
|
Aug-10 |
13,905 |
|
Sep-10 |
13,702 |
|
Oct-10 |
13,895 |
|
Nov-10 |
12,969 |
|
Dec-10 |
11,893 |
|
Jan-11 |
12,695 |
|
Feb-11 |
11,947 |
|
Mar-11 |
13,225 |
|
Apr-11 |
13,383 |
|
May-11 |
13,596 |
|
Jun-11 |
13,602 |
|
Jul-11 |
13,966 |
|
Aug-11 |
12,842 |
|
Sep-11 |
12,469 |
|
Oct-11 |
13,284 |
|
Nov-11 |
12,627 |
|
Dec-11 |
11,748 |
|
Jan-12 |
11,994 |
|
Feb-12 |
11,226 |
|
Mar-12 |
13,139 |
|
Apr-12 |
12,134 |
|
May-12 |
13,827 |
|
Jun-12 |
13,137 |
|
Jul-12 |
13,748 |
|
Aug-12 |
13,686 |
|
Sep-12 |
12,479 |
|
Oct-12 |
12,579 |
|
Nov-12 |
12,181 |
|
Dec-12 |
12,130 |
|
Jan-13 |
11,565 |
|
Feb-13 |
10,464 |
|
Mar-13 |
11,757 |
|
Apr-13 |
11,564 |
|
May-13 |
12,452 |
|
Jun-13 |
12,595 |
|
Jul-13 |
14,181 |
|
Aug-13 |
12,675 |
|
Sep-13 |
11,965 |
|
Oct-13 |
13,095 |
|
Nov-13 |
12,929 |
|
Dec-13 |
12,823 |
|
Jan-14 |
12,891 |
|
Feb-14 |
12,195 |
|
Mar-14 |
14,546 |
|
Apr-14 |
13,719 |
|
May-14 |
15,528 |
|
Jun-14 |
16,664 |
|
Jul-14 |
17,594 |
|
Aug-14 |
15,974 |
|
Sep-14 |
16,897 |
|
Oct-14 |
17,465 |
|
Nov-14 |
17,268 |
|
Dec-14 |
16,537 |
|
Jan-15 |
16,320 |
|
Feb-15 |
15,609 |
|
Mar-15 |
17,843 |
|
Apr-15 |
16,626 |
|
May-15 |
18,964 |
|
Jun-15 |
19,345 |
|
Jul-15 |
19,963 |
|
Aug-15 |
18,679 |
|
Sep-15 |
18,494 |
|
Oct-15 |
20,089 |
|
Nov-15 |
19,427 |
|
Dec-15 |
19,267 |
|
Jan-16 |
18,347 |
3. Caroline Pidgeon's report on knife crime in London