Sharp Hike In Knife Crime

Offences up 50% despite lockdown. Concern over ‘flick’ blades

- Ferghal Blaney

Knife crime offences are soaring by almost 50% this year despite society being in lockdown.

And convictions for “flick” blades in particular are proving to be a cause for concern.

National stats released by the CSO yesterday showed a fall in many areas of crime – not surprisingly given the country was mainly in lockdown.

However, new figures received through the Department of Justice, and seen by the Irish Mirror, reveal that the situation for knife offences is soaring.

Last year there were a total of 434 people (down from 513 in 2019) convicted in the country’s circuit courts for possession of knives.

This year there were 157 offences in the first quarter, meaning that in a full year we are looking at 628 offences, an increase of nearly half again, or 50% on last year.