NEW YORK - The number of knives seized in city schools has reportedly soared over the past five school years.

The New York Post says NYPD stats show nearly 1,700 knives were taken away from students during the 2018-2019 school year.

That's up 92 percent from the 2014-2015 school year, when 873 knives were found on students.

According to the Post, the president of the school safety agents union blames widespread bullying and relaxed punishment policies for the rise in knife seizures.

But a spokesman for the Department of Education says more knives were found because of increased metal detector scanning in schools.