The worrying rise in knife crime in Kingston and Merton

Kai Davis died after being stabbed in the chest near Pryzm nightclub in August 2021. 

Fourteen months later, a 24-year-old man was found guilty of murder, and a 23-year-old was convicted of manslaughter. 

• READ MORE: Kingston stabbing victim named as Morden man

But for the police tasked with keeping Kingston’s streets safe, there was no respite. 

Just hours before justice caught up with Kai’s killers, another man was stabbed to death. 

Late on October 13, Michael Agyare, 24, was fatally wounded in Fairfield Road, just streets away from where Kai was stabbed.  

Nobody has yet been arrested for Mr Agyare’s killing.

Kai Davis, 22, was stabbed to death in Kingston last year. Last month, fourteen months later, another man was stabbed to death just a few minutes' walk away  

Rising Knife Crime 

“Kingston has the lowest level of knife crime in London and remains one of the capital’s safest boroughs,” said Sabah Hamed, Kingston Council’s portfolio holder for public health. 

According to new figures published by the Metropolitan Police, Kingston upon Thames recorded 113 knife crimes between November 2021 and October 2022. 

That was indeed the lowest figure for any London borough. 

However, it was also a 48.7% increase on the previous year, meaning Kingston has the fastest-rising knife crime figures in London. 

The previous year’s figures were dampened all over London by Covid restrictions, meaning increases were expected across the capital. 

But while Kington’s figures ballooned, most boroughs saw far smaller increases. Five even saw reductions. 

Injuries 

“Any increase in knife crime is something the council and partners are very concerned to see,” said Cllr Hamed. 

She said knife crimes had been noticeably higher in some months, which could have been due to police operations, and pointed out that “fewer than half” of Kingston’s knife crimes resulted in injuries. 

Kingston councillor Sabah Hamed said that less than half of knife crimes in Kingston resulted in injuries (Image: Kingston Council)

But that still represents a deteriorating situation. 

Between November 2017 and October 2018, 40 out of 127 knife offences resulted in injuries (31.5%). 

The following year, it was 39 out of 154 (25.3%).  

Between November 2021 and October 2022, 45 out of 113 resulted in injuries (39.8%). 

So whilst overall knife crime remains slightly lower than before the pandemic, the proportion of offences causing injuries has escalated. 

Merton 

Further evidence of a growing problem in the area comes from the fact that neighbouring borough Merton is also seeing knife crime surge. 

It has London’s fourth-fastest rising knife crime rate. 

Merton’s 273 recorded offences constituted a 41.5% rise, year-on-year. 

That means Merton’s figures are now worse than before Covid. 

Between November 2017 and October 2018, Merton recorded 205 knife offences. The following year it rose to 243. 

Now at 273, Merton has 33% more knife crime than five years ago. 

The Met

The Met did not comment on why knife crime was rising so rapidly in Kingston and Merton. 

“Police in Kingston are working hard to combat knife-related offences,” a spokesperson said. 

“They continue to carry out proactive operations in conjunction with partners. In the last week there have been arrests made for people in possession of knives. 

“The neighbourhood policing teams carry out regular weapons sweeps and under Operation Sceptre the Kingston town centre team have carried out knife arch screening operations and have made arrests for possession of offensive weapons and for robbery. 

“These are just some of the activities carried out by the teams on an ongoing basis.” 

Councils 

Labour’s Eleanor Stringer, Merton Council’s cabinet member for civic pride, said the authority was “obviously concerned” by rising knife crime. 

But, she added, Merton had started “from a low base by comparison with other boroughs”. 

“We still remain one of the safest boroughs in London,” she said. 

Merton Labour councillor Eleanor Stringer said the council was concerned, but that Merton remained one of London's safest boroughs (Image: Merton Council)

Cllr Stringer said Merton was working with the Met and others on a “violence reduction plan” and had regular intelligence sharing meetings. 

“In addition, the police have increased resources such as dog patrols,” she said. 

“We anticipate that the actions of the police, ourselves and partners will lead to a rapid decrease in the number of instances and that any perpetrators will be brought to justice,” she said. 

Cllr Hamed said Kingston Council provided opportunities to young people and families, worked with police on investigations, and worked with other partners to “improve the confidence of victims to report incidents”. 

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