At least 7 stabbings and knife-related incidents in past week in K-W and surrounding area

Is knife violence on the rise?

There have been at least seven stabbings or knife-related incidents in Kitchener-Waterloo and the surrounding areas in the past week alone.

But at least one expert says it’s too premature to say if there’s been a spike in these types of crimes. However, former Ontario Provincial Police commissioner and CTV News public safety analyst Chris Lewis does take note of the number of incidents in the last week and their proximity to each other.

“I think what is probably unusual is the fact there was a whole pile between Wellington County and Waterloo Region in a short period of time,” Lewis said.

Since Thursday, Kitchener and Waterloo have seen at least four knife-involved or stabbing-related incidents, including one that saw a youth charged and two people transported to hospital.

Investigators believe the accused and victims knew each other.

“Stabbings are more intimate,” Lewis said. “You have to get into someone's personal space. You can't do it from 10 or 15 yards away.”

In Guelph, there have been two incidents where a knife was pulled in the last week. One happened in a business, another on a transit bus.

In Woodstock, police were called to an apartment complex last Tuesday for reports of a dispute. It resulted in a 56-year-old man charged with second-degree murder for the fatal stabbing of a 59-year-old man.

So what might be behind this possible spike?

Lewis points to how easy knives are to obtain. He also suggests the pandemic may be a contributor.

“People being stuck in houses and not being able to work in many cases and I think that caused a rise in domestic disputes, neighbour disputes,” Lewis said.

Could Canada’s gun-control legislation play into more knife-related crimes? Experts aren’t linking the two at this point.

“It's way too soon to link it to any gun legislation,” Lewis said. “Handguns have been illegal for the average person in Canada for a long, long time. Most of my life.”