A NEW report has revealed that only one in five people in the South West feel confident that young people in their area would report information of someone carrying a knife to the police.

The figures come following research carried out by YouGov, which was commissioned by charity Crimestoppers.

Despite the low confidence, the research has found that people in the South West are more confident that young people would share that information with an anonymous service.

Crimestoppers, an independent charity that lets people share information about criminal activity anonymously, says that the findings raise concerns that vital information about knife crime could be going unreported, despite the devastating impact serious violence has on victims, families and communities.

Between March 2025 and March 2026, there were 3,275 selected serious offences involving a knife in the South West - more than 800 of which in Devon and Cornwall, with around 48,774 across England and Wales. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that more than 21,000 of these were in relation to an assault with injury and assault with intent to cause serious harm offences involving a knife.

In the last ten years, there has been a 49 per cent increase in the number of police-recorded offences involving a knife or sharp instrument. However, despite the concerning figures, there has been an eight per cent decrease in Police-recorded offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in the last 12 months (up to March 2026).

While the YouGov research found confidence that young people speaking directly to police is low across the South West, the research suggests anonymity could make a significant difference. Half of people in the South West said they were confident young people locally would share information with an anonymous service, highlighting the important role anonymous reporting can play in helping young people share information safely.

Fear of retaliation also remains a significant barrier. More than 43 per cent of people in the South West cite fear of retaliation if they report crime as a reason they might not report information to the police.

The regional findings come as Crimestoppers launches a new campaign through its youth service, Fearless.org, after the research also revealed a significant reporting gap among young people.

Nationally, just 31 per cent of UK 16 to 25-year-olds say they would be very likely to report information about knife crime directly to the police, compared with 45 per cent of adults.

A spokesperson from Crimestoppers said: “The findings challenge the perception that young people are unwilling to help tackle knife crime. Instead, they suggest fear, mistrust and uncertainty are preventing many from speaking up, even when they may have information that could help prevent serious violence. For example, 41 per cent of 16 to 25s say fear of retaliation is a barrier that could stop them sharing information about knife crime with the police, while 28 per cent cite a lack of trust in the police.”