Knife crime and major trauma impact statements to support investigations

The aims of the impact statements are to:

• provide local context to knife crime and knife-related offences 
• convey the seriousness of knife-related offending and the impact on public safety 
• provide context around the impact knife crime has on the police and partner agencies 
• demonstrate a multi-agency approach to tackling knife crime

The intended outcomes of the impact statements are to:

• increase awareness of local issues and community impact in court
• increase awareness of issues faced by partner agencies regarding short and long-term impacts of knife-related offending
• reduce the number of knife crime incidents and knife-related offences

The impact statements were launched following discussions at Nottinghamshire Police’s force strategic knife crime meetings. The meetings were attended by:

• Nottinghamshire Police
• Nottinghamshire Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC)
• Nottinghamshire Violence Reduction Partnership
• National Health Service (NHS)
• Fire Service
• British Army

The purpose of the meetings was to assess knife-related incidents in the city centre. A critical incident was declared due to the potential negative effects on public feelings of safety and trust and confidence in the police.

Two type of impact statements were implemented: 

• knife crime impact statements
• major trauma impact statements

The two statements (one from a policing perspective and the other from the NHS) are to be used alongside community impact statements to convey the wider context of the offence. They are written based on local facts and figures and community feelings. The purpose of the statements are to convey the unique circumstances behind single offences brought to the courts.

These are written as MG11 documents and are stored as PDF files on a dedicated knife crime SharePoint channel. 

Content of the statements includes:

• a unique reference number
• age  
• occupation
• a textbox including their written statement 
• signature and date as proof of consent that they have shared information to the best of their knowledge and belief

The impact statements should be used when:

• the harm caused in a particular locality is significantly higher, such as high knife crime areas
• the circumstances can be described as exceptional
• it is just and proportionate to increase sentencing in the case

Knife crime impact statements and major trauma impact statements do not to replace victim impact statements or other community impact statements.

The development and delivery of the impact statements did not require any funding. The initiative was approved by the assistant chief constable for local policing, who is the force strategic knife crime lead.

An evaluation is planned and will be led by Nottinghamshire Police. The evaluation will explore the use of impact statements and the effect they have on sentencing in Nottinghamshire.

Knife crime and major trauma impact statements have been implemented force wide. Officers and staff have welcomed the initiative, commenting that the forms are easy to use.

It is too early in the implementation process to assess the evidence base for their impact at courts. The force intend to replicate the success of similar impact statements in relation to hate crime on informing decision-making in courts.
 

The force have found the implementation of knife crime and major trauma impact statements to be relatively simple. A barrier has been ensuring officers and staff are aware of the statements as well as the criteria for their use. For example, they should not be used for every knife offence as this could reduce their impact.

The force recommends that internal communication regarding the implementation of the statements is robust, to ensure the workforce are referencing the statements on the MG5 (case and interview summary).