In North Ayrshire, the number of recorded crimes of weapons possession that specifically reference the presence of a knife or a bladed or pointed article decreased by 33 per cent from 123 in 2007-08 to 83 in 2024-25. Significantly, emergency hospital admissions in NHS Ayrshire and Arran due to assault by a sharp object decreased by 78 per cent from 81 in 2007-08 to just 18 in 2024-25, although 18 is still too many.