FOI 594/25 Cross Bows and Airguns
Date: 19/06/25
Enquiry Reference: 594- 25
I write in connection with regards to your Freedom of Information request. Below is your request and our response.
- From 2019 to the most recent data available, how many crimes were logged by your police force where a bow or crossbow was recorded as being an element in the offence? Please provide a yearly breakdown in a table (Note: I would hope that this could be achieved by a computer search on the MO of crimes for the phrases “bow”, “bow and arrow”, “crossbow”, “cross bow” and “cross-bow”.
Answer
The table includes the volume of crimes validated per year with mention in the MO comments of the terms requested. The ‘weapon’ may be mentioned in the MO but this does not mean it was used. For instance, if an MO contains ‘crossbow found in the address’ this would also be included.
The table includes all crimes with mention of arrow, bow and arrow or crossbow.
|
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
6 |
5 |
11 |
8 |
10 |
12 |
5 |
- From 2019 to the most recent data available, how many crimes were logged by your police force where an air rifle, airsoft gun or bb gun was recorded as being an element in the offence? Please provide a yearly breakdown in a table (Note: I would hope that this could be achieved by a computer search on the MO of crimes for the phrases "BB Gun", "BB Pistol", "BB Rifle", "Airsoft gun", "Airsoft pistol", "air rifle", "air pistol", "air gun", "pellet rifle", "pellet pistol" and "pellet gun".
Answer
As above the table includes the volume of crimes validated per year with mention in the MO comments of the terms requested. The ‘weapon’ may be mentioned in the MO but this does not mean it was used. For instance, if an MO contains ‘air weapon found in the address’ this would also be included. The table includes all crimes with mention of air rifle, air gun, air soft, BB gun, BB rifle and pellet.
|
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
94 |
98 |
117 |
138 |
189 |
88 |
34 |
- Please provide me with a table showing a breakdown of the crimes from Question 1 that are 'linked' to bows or crossbows by its mention in the MO for 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Please provide this broken down by Home Office offence group and subgroup.
Answer
The below table contains the crime types (offence HO report group text) of the crimes above. The MO comments contain one of the words suggested, this doesn’t mean the crime is linked necessarily, we would need to read each MO and possibly OEL to ascertain the nature of the offence.
|
|
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
2 - Attempted Murder |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
3B - Threats To Kill |
|
|
|
2 |
1 |
|
1 |
|
5D - Assault with Intent to cause Serious Harm |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
8L - Harassment |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
8N - Assault with Injury |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
8Q - Stalking |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
8R - Malicious Communications |
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
8U - Controlling or Coercive Behaviour |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
9A - Public Fear Alarm or Distress |
1 |
|
1 |
|
2 |
|
|
|
10B - Possession Firearms Offences |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
10C - Possession of Other Weapons |
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
|
|
10D - Possession of Article with Blade or Point |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
11A - Cruelty to Children/Young Persons |
|
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
28J - Attempted Residential Burglary of a Home |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
29A - Aggravated Burglary residential |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
40 - Theft in a Dwelling other than from an Automatic Machine or Meter |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
45 - Theft from a Vehicle |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
58A - Criminal Damage to a Dwelling |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
58C - Criminal Damage to a Vehicle |
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
58D - Other Criminal Damage |
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
59 - Threat or Possession with Intent to Commit Criminal Damage |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
66 - Other Offences against the State and Public Order |
2 |
|
2 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
802 - Dangerous Driving |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
92D - Possession of a controlled drug (Excluding Cannabis) |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
105A - Assault Without Injury |
|
|
1 |
2 |
|
|
|
- Please provide me with a table showing a breakdown of the crimes from Question 2 that are 'linked' to air rifles, airsoft guns or bb guns by their mention in the MO for 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Please provide this broken down by Home Office offence group and subgroup.
Answer
The below table contains the crime types (offence HO report group text) of the crimes above. The MO comments contain one of the words suggested, this doesn’t mean the crime is linked necessarily, we would need to read each MO and possibly OEL to ascertain the nature of the offence.
|
|
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
2 - Attempted Murder |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
3B - Threats To Kill |
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
59 - Threat or Possession with Intent to Commit Criminal Damage |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5D - Assault with Intent to cause Serious Harm |
1 |
6 |
1 |
7 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
|
5E - Endangering Life |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
8L - Harassment |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
10 |
3 |
3 |
|
8N - Assault with Injury |
17 |
12 |
33 |
19 |
35 |
13 |
4 |
|
8Q - Stalking |
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
8R - Malicious Communications |
1 |
|
2 |
|
2 |
|
3 |
|
8U - Controlling or Coercive Behaviour |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
9A - Public Fear Alarm or Distress |
3 |
3 |
7 |
5 |
8 |
|
1 |
|
9B - Racially or Religiously Aggravated Public Fear Alarm or Distress |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
10A - Possession of Firearms with Intent |
3 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
7 |
4 |
|
|
10B - Possession Firearms Offences |
3 |
8 |
7 |
12 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
|
10C - Possession of Other Weapons |
1 |
|
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
10D - Possession of Article with Blade or Point |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
11A - Cruelty to Children/Young Persons |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
20A - Sexual Assault on Female aged 13 and over |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
20B - Sexual Assault on Female Child under 13 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
28E - Burglary Residential |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
|
28F - Attempted Burglary Residential |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
28I - Residential Burglary of a Home |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
28M - Residential Burglary of Unconnected Building |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
29A - Aggravated Burglary residential |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
29B - Aggravated Burglary Residential (Home) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
30C - Burglary business and community |
|
3 |
|
2 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
33 - Going Equipped for Stealing etc. |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
34A - Robbery of Business Property |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
34B - Robbery of Personal Property |
1 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
40 - Theft in a Dwelling other than from an Automatic Machine or Meter |
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
45 - Theft from a Vehicle |
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
46 - Shoplifting |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
49 - Other Theft |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
56B - Arson Not Endangering Life |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
58A - Criminal Damage to a Dwelling |
28 |
36 |
30 |
36 |
37 |
26 |
9 |
|
58B - Criminal Damage to a Building other than a Dwelling |
4 |
3 |
7 |
3 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
|
58C - Criminal Damage to a Vehicle |
10 |
10 |
7 |
8 |
10 |
2 |
3 |
|
58D - Other Criminal Damage |
6 |
3 |
8 |
5 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
|
66 - Other Offences against the State and Public Order |
|
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
3 |
|
|
92A - Trafficking in Controlled Drugs |
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
92E - Possession of a controlled drug (Cannabis) |
1 |
|
|
4 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
105A - Assault Without Injury |
9 |
4 |
4 |
15 |
40 |
9 |
3 |
Please note that all statistical data supplied in relation to Freedom of Information requests is a snapshot of data held at the time the request was received by the Freedom of Information office and is subject to constant change/updates.
If you are not satisfied with this response or any actions taken in dealing with your request, you have the right to request an independent internal review of your case under our review procedure. The Freedom of Information Code of Practice (see below link) states that a request for internal review should be made within 20 working days of the date on this response or 40 working days if extenuating circumstances to account for the delay can be evidenced. Public authorities are not obliged to accept internal reviews after this date.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freedom-of-information-code-of-practice
Yours sincerely
Information Rights Decision Maker