Violence has once again blighted the streets of the UK capital city with two more murders in less than an hour. A third attempted murder has left an 18-year-old man fighting for his life in the hospital.

London has now overtaken New York City in the murder league tables, something that was inconceivable a few years ago. New York has had a massive push by city authorities to reduce the Murder Rate, and with London in the grip of a wave of violence, March saw the UK capital finally exceed New York's total for 2018.

How does London compare to other European cities?

In 2017, the Met police recorded 130 murders in the capital. Berlin, in the same period, recorded 91 homicides. The population of London is far greater than Berlin's, at 8.3 million compares to 3.5 million in the German capital.

It is worth remembering that how crime is categorized and recorded in different countries could raise inconsistencies in the figures, however, even taking into account deaths from murder, corporate manslaughter, infanticide, and manslaughter, London is still a far more violent place to live.

Madrid has a similar population to Berlin but recorded a significantly lower murder rate, at 39. Amsterdam recorded only 19 murders but does only have a population within the city limits of 813,000.

Is violent crime on the increase in London?

The Metropolitan police revealed that in January of this year they dealt with 8 homicides but in February that number had risen sharply to 15. In March it rose again, to 22.

Last year there were 130 murders recorded by the Metropolitan police. So far, in 2018, there have been in excess of 35 killings.

If the current trend continues and the police fail to get to grips with the problem, London could see its murder rate top out at over 180 by the end of the year.

What are the reasons?

Met police chief Cressida Dick blames the rise in social media and the normalizing of violence. She said that social media incites violent acts and encourages gang feuds.

In a recent interview, she was asked if the cut in the number of officers on the streets had influenced the rise in violence. She didn't believe that was the case, although she did say that she could always do with more resources.

In a recently leaked memo, The Home Office said that the severity of the cuts to the police budget could be a factor in the rise in violent crime.

The Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, was quick to deny this and immediately announced a Government initiative to clamp down on violent crime in the capital, especially knife crime committed by warring gangs.

London has a problem with knife crime especially

Whilst gun crime is increasing in the capital, because of strict gun control laws, it still remains a rarity, however, knives are a real problem. They are the weapon of choice among the gangs. They are easy to conceal and easy to get.
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