EDMONTON -- Violent crimes are spiking across the board in Edmonton since last year and compared to the three-year average, Edmonton Police Service data shows.

July saw a 27 per cent-increase compared to the three-year average while assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm experienced an 88 per cent growth under the same criteria.

Since July 11 there have been five homicides and another three suspicious deaths in Edmonton.

On Thursday, the EPS Homicide Section began to investigate another to deaths after a man was fatally stabbed in west Edmonton and another man was found dead in a southwest Edmonton home.

Later that day, a 20-year-old man approached a parked vehicle in the area of 98 Avenue and 104 Street, asked a woman for money and stabbed her multiple times, police said.

The woman was taken to hospital with serious, non-life threatening injuries, EPS said.

The man was charged with aggravated assault, robbery and possession of an offensive weapon.

"While it's difficult to speculate why this is occurring, the increase in these violent assaults is certainly concerning, especially when we see the assaults with a weapon or assaults causing bodily harm," said EPS Superintendent Brad Doucette.

"But it's very concerning overall violent crimes are up by such a high level."