Knife crime arrests - Record number made in West Yorkshire

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West Yorkshire Police has made a record number of knife crime arrests this year after launching Operation Jemlock.

Between July and the end of September Operation Jemlock officers made a total of 657 arrests, the highest number made in the summer period since the unit’s formation in 2019.

Knife crime arrests

During the summer, the team carried out additional patrols in over 200 locations across West Yorkshire, significantly increasing the chances of catching those committing crime, carrying weapons, and engaged in anti-social behaviour

These patrols and increased arrests resulted in a 12 per cent reduction in crime across these locations and a 16 per cent reduction in anti-social behaviour.

Overall, 256 fewer people were victims of crime in hotspot areas in September 2024 than in August 2023.

Operation Jemlock officers have now made more than 11,500 arrests since 2019, the year the team was formed to reduce serious violent crime, including offences involving knives and bladed weapons.

A total of 481 dangerous weapons including knives, machetes and knuckle dusters have been seized so far in 2024 with more than 2,400 taken to date.

Chief Inspector James Kitchen, force lead for Operation Jemlock, said:

“Operation Jemlock officers have continued to work extremely hard over the summer months carrying out thousands of hours of additional foot and mobile patrols in areas identified as hotspots for violence, knife crime and anti-social behaviour.

“Those patrols and our proactive policing work have seen the team make significant numbers of arrests and weapons seizures, helping to reduce crime and incidents”

“We are confident that our data driven, evidence based approach is putting officers in the right places, at the right times to have the greatest impact of increasing the likelihood of offenders being caught and ensuring that communities feel safe.

“I hope that these latest results reassure the public, that we listen to our communities and act on the information and intelligence that they provide”

“Our enforcement operations and patrols will continue into the autumn and winter, utilising new tactics and new technologies to target those minority of individuals who cause harm”

“We will continue to work closely with or partners understanding the need for early intervention and long term solutions, however we will continue to focus on putting officers on the streets where our communities want them to be.”

Knife crime compensation

If you have been a victim of knife crime, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

Since 1964, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) and its predecessor (Criminal Injuries Compensation Board), has paid over £3 billion in compensation.

In 1996, a statutory scheme was introduced under the provisions of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Act 1995.

Designed to compensate blameless victims of violent crimes including physical and sexual assaults, the CICA has been revised in 2001, 2008 and 2012, compensating for over 300 different injuries ranging in compensation between £1,000 – £250,000.

Individuals may be eligible for an award if they sustain a criminal injury directly attributable to being a direct victim of a crime of violence committed in a relevant place.

What is a ‘Crime of Violence’?

The CICA defines a ‘Crime of Violence’ as a crime which, by intention or recklessness, involves any of the following:

A physical attack
Any other act (or failure to act) of a violent nature which causes physical injury to a person
A threat against a person causing fear of immediate violence
Sexual assault
Arson

What is a ‘Relevant Place’

A relevant place means Great Britain. However, there are also some further niche areas that fall under the CICA’s definition. This includes a British-controlled aircraft, a British-controlled hovercraft, or a lighthouse off the coast of Great Britain.

Can my conduct or previous convictions affect my eligibility?

The CICA has the power to apply reductions or even outright reject an application if, before, during, or after the incident giving rise to a criminal injury, the applicant’s conduct makes it inappropriate to make an award or full award.

In some circumstances, it may reduce or even withhold a compensation award where an applicant has previous criminal convictions. This is largely dependent on whether a conviction is ‘spent’ or ‘unspent’. Simply put, each conviction has a period in which it remains relevant in law until it has elapsed. This time differs depending on the severity of the offence.

How long do I have to make a claim?

As a general rule, the crime must have taken place within the last two years to put in a criminal injury application to the CICA. There can be exceptions to this rule if, due to exceptional circumstances, the applicant could not have applied earlier.

If an applicant was a child under the age of 18 on the date of the criminal incident, they have until they turn 20 years old to submit a claim.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the police have been known to tell an individual not to put in a claim to the CICA until after a criminal investigation has concluded however this can put you in severe danger of missing the pre-imposed deadlines that have been set.

Are there any other conditions I should be aware of?

The crime must have been reported to the police as soon as ‘reasonably practicable’
The applicant must have fully co-operated with the police
The applicant must fully co-operate with the CICA claims officer

How much compensation will I get?

The amount you are awarded in compensation will depend on the severity and on-going impact of your injuries. . The current Scheme (the 2012 edition), contains an injury tariff that provides for multiple common injuries ranging in severity and value.

A fractured jaw bone resulting in ongoing problems. This would be valued at £3,500 and could rise to £6,200 if an operation had taken place.
Facial scarring causing serious disfigurement. This could be valued up to £11,000.
Injuries resulting in permanent tinnitus which is very severe can be valued at £16,500.
Loss of teeth could be valued up to £3,500.

A permanent and seriously disabling psychological injury, with a potential value of up to £27,000.

Loss of earnings

If your injury has caused you to miss a significant amount of work, then you may be able to claim for loss of earnings. If you have missed work for over a 28-week period, there is the option to add a claim for lost earnings to your CICA application.

You will be paid from the 29th week onwards that you have missed work and payments will be made via statutory sick pay rates. Supporting evidence must be provided from your doctor or employer to demonstrate that you were unfit for work for the length of time mentioned above.

Special expenses

Special expenses, such as medical expenses and alterations to your household, that have arisen as a result of your injury may also be claimed for. These expenses must be reasonable and will not be available if you received them for free, e.g. through the NHS.

Bereavement payments and fatal cases

In the unfortunate event that someone passes away due to a criminal injury, there are provisions available for a qualifying relative of the deceased to utilise. Some examples of a qualifying relative are a person, who at the time of the deceased’s death are:

The spouse or civil partner of the deceased, who was living with the deceased in the same household
The partner of the deceased (other than a spouse/civil partner) who was living with the deceased in the same household for a continuous period of at least two years before the date of death
A parent of the deceased
A child of the deceased

There is a standard bereavement payment of £11,000 however if there is more than one person who satisfies these criteria, the bereavement payment is £5,500 each.

There is also the potential to add dependency payments, child payments, and a contribution to any funeral payments made to an applicant’s CICA claim.

Why choose Oakwood Solicitors Ltd for my CICA claim?

Oakwood Solicitors Ltd agrees to work on your CICA criminal injury claim on a ‘no-win, no-fee’ basis. If your claim is unsuccessful, you will not be expected to pay us a penny.

If you are successful in your claim, we take a percentage of the compensation meaning that the only time we will receive money is if we have brought your claim to a fruitful conclusion.

You will have a dedicated advisor who will see your claim through from start to finish, assisting you in the event of any queries or issues you may have. If it is preferable to you, we are able to assign you one of our female advisors to carry out your claim.

Your case handler will also continue to provide regular updates until the conclusion of your claim, ensuring the process is as stress-free and effortless as possible.

Record number of knife crime arrests made in West Yorkshire