Chris Philp spoke as it was revealed police recorded almost 50,000 offences last year.
Knife-point robberies soared by 19% to 20,000.
And the number of yobs being caught with a blade rose by 4% to 27,846 in the year to September, figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal.
The true number will be even higher as the figures published yesterday do not include Greater Manchester Police or Devon and Cornwall Police.
It came as senior politicians clashed over the Government’s zombie knife ban. Discussing the move, Mr Philp said: “It’s a step forward, but I’m not going to claim it’s going to overnight fix all the issues with knife crime. But it’s an important part of it.”
Home Secretary James Cleverly said he has “expedited” the ban, meaning anyone caught with the weapons could face jail. It will be illegal to possess, sell, manufacture or transport zombie knives and machetes from September, officials said.
Mr Philp said: “The ban we’re introducing in Parliament specifies the design of the bladed article.”
“If we find in the future there are other things that need to be brought into the scope, then we can do another statutory instrument like the one we’re doing today to ban those, because it’s much faster than using primary legislation.”
But Labour accused the Government of doing “too little, too late”.
Some 48,716 offences were recorded in the 12 months to September 2023, a 5% rise from 46,367 in the previous 12 months. And 260 of 591 killings last year were knife attacks, the ONS revealed.
Actor Idris Elba, who is campaigning for an end to knife crime, said the ban on zombie knives was a “step in the right direction”.
But he added: “Unfortunately, it doesn’t ban all knives, including swords. However, the significant step towards zombie knives and machetes is something that I think is really important.”
