The cost-of-living crisis could lead to more violent crime, London mayor Sadiq Khan has warned. Mr Khan spoke of his fears that progress in tackling violent crime could be jeopardised as figures show that London’s knife and gun crimes plus teenage murders have been reduced.
He said “we must acknowledge that the spiralling cost of living could make things even more challenging and even risks taking us backwards”. City Hall pointed to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data which showed that knife crime fell by 7% and gun crime reduced by 18% in 2021.
The number of teenagers murdered in London was reduced by 64% in the first five months of 2022 compared to the same period a year earlier, according to the ONS figures which covered the year to December 2021. Mr Khan said “the level of violence remains far too high” despite the amount of incidents having fallen since before the pandemic.
