Statistics on knife-related crime?

[wongKI]

Dear All,

First of all, I apologise in advance if this isn't the right place for this thread, but I felt that the people who frequent this subforum would have better knowledge about this subject than most anywhere else.

I'm interested in finding out exactly how many assaults, homicides, etc are committed with a knife in the USA. Google failed me on this, sadly-most of the results returned were for the UK for some reason. Anybody can help me out?

It'd be great, of course, if the type of knife used (machete, kitchen knife, auto etc) was included-this because I hear all over the place that most of the knives used are cheap kitchen knives, and while this makes sense, I haven't been able to confirm it.

Thanks in advance

Cheers,
KI

 

[Watchful]

Here you go, but you'll be in the weeds pretty soon.

2010's data is out there, but the link is not quite working as of this morning.

Note that granular data such as type of knife is never recorded, because most reporting agencies lack the ability to identify a knife, as well as victims' inability to know what they were stabbed with. Generally, 2/3 of victims or more never even saw the knife, and learned they were stabbed later.

I have a hunch this data will disappoint, but it's the best there is.

 

[glistam]

Definitely concur with Watchful. FBI keeps stats on whether it's a knife or a gun, but no source that I know of keeps data on different kind of knives. However I too have heard from reasonable reliable sources (police homicide detectives and patrolmen) that most crimes in urban areas involving the use of a knife are cheaper kitchen knives, either parring knives (when the crime occurs on the street) or longer butcher knives (when occurring in the home). The butcher knife is a obvious weapon of opportunity during domestic violence, and the parring knife is a cheap easy to obtain robbery implement that can be thrown away. Granted, this entirely anecdotal, but it makes logical sense and it's all there really is to go on.

 

[mlbrist]

I agree that most stabbings are probably committed with kitchen knives. Yet, laws are written to restrict the carry of quality knives carried by law abiding citizens.