Homicide rate in Bedfordshire among highest in England and Wales
Bedfordshire has one of the highest homicide rates in England and Wales, new figures show.
Office for National Statistics figures show Bedfordshire Police recorded nine homicide victims in the year to March – down from 14 the year before.
It meant there were 15.4 victims per million residents over the last three years, which was one of the highest rates in the two countries.
Bedfordshire Police’s Detective Chief Superintendent Duncan Young said: “We recognise that homicide is driven by a complex set of factors, and we remain committed to tackling this through prevention, intervention, and enforcement.
“Knife crime remains one of the biggest contributors to homicides, particularly among young people across the country, and like many other forces we are addressing it from every angle. This includes tackling issues such as organised crime and drugs which we know are the driving factors behind a significant proportion of violent crime.”
Cleveland had the highest rate at 17.9 per million people, while Cheshire had the lowest at three.
Homicide figures include murder, manslaughter and infanticide incidents. One incident can have multiple victims.
Police forces in England and Wales recorded 262 homicides using a sharp instrument in the year to March, which was by far the most common method.
Teenage victims were far more likely to be killed by a knife or a sharp instrument (83 per cent of homicides) than victims of all ages (46 per cent).
Detective Chief Superintendent Duncan Young added: “Through early intervention and collaboration with our partners, such as the Bedfordshire Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit (VERU), we strive to steer young people away from violence and criminality. At the same time, we continue to carry out robust enforcement, using intelligence-led operations to target those who carry weapons or are involved in gang-related activity.
“Education is also a crucial part of our approach – our dedicated Education and Diversion team have delivered lessons to more than 7,000 students since April last year, focusing on the dangers of carrying knives and the devastating consequences they can bring.
“While any reduction in serious violence and homicide is welcome, even one victim is one too many. That’s why we remain relentless in our efforts, and will continue to work with our partners, schools and communities to make our county safer.”