People carrying knives in parts of Westminster and Croydon are being warned of a step-up in police action, as a new Home Office campaign launches in the two London hotspots today.
The ‘No Place for Knives’ campaign is being piloted in parts of Westminster and Croydon, with adverts appearing at tube stations, bus stops and on social media, as well as a mural at Boxpark Croydon. The campaign is also being piloted in Birmingham city centre.
The adverts are designed to raise awareness of increased police activity, including smarter metal detection, rapid response e-bikes, extra foot patrols and live facial recognition. Developed by the Home Office with police and local authorities, the campaign targets those most at risk of committing knife crime.
Policing and Crime Minister Sarah Jones said: “Everyone in Westminster and Croydon deserves to feel safe on their streets. We know that hearing of knife crime incidents happening in your city can have the opposite effect and we want to stop that. We’re working with police to target knife crime where it causes the greatest harm, using intelligence and cutting-edge technology to make our communities safer.”
“‘No Place for Knives’ sends a clear message: action is being taken and we will not accept people putting young lives and our communities at risk.”
The campaign forms part of the Government’s wider mission to halve knife crime in a decade, combining tougher enforcement with prevention and early intervention to protect young people.
Westminster and Croydon, along with 16 other boroughs in Greater London, have received over £8.1 million through the Home Office’s Knife Crime Concentrations Fund to roll out targeted interventions. As well as the enforcement measures featured in the adverts, the funding covers prevention approaches such as youth outreach and visible local safety patrols in busy night-time economy areas.
Recent figures show knife crime has fallen 11 per cent since the General Election, while knife-related homicides have fallen by 25 per cent and knife-enabled robbery is down by 18 per cent. In London, knife crime has fallen by 14 per cent over the same period, while knife-related homicides have fallen by 34 per cent and knife-enabled robbery is down by 19 per cent.
Commander Pete Stevens of the Metropolitan Police said: “We know the devastating impact knife crime has – not just on families who have lost loved ones but on entire communities. Our officers work tirelessly to combat this senseless violence, proactively directing our resources towards the people who pose the most risk.”
“These tactics are working. In the last financial year knife-enabled crime fell by 14.9 per cent across London and over the last five years the number of people hospitalised after being attacked with a sharp weapon has fallen by 29 per cent.”
“We will continue to target violent criminals who threaten our communities. Every knife removed and every suspect arrested has the potential to prevent serious harm or save a life.”
Mick Duthie, Director of Operations at the charity Crimestoppers, said: “We know that knife crime can have devastating consequences for individuals, families and communities. If someone has information about knife carrying violence but is worried about being identified, our charity provides a way to speak up completely anonymously. By sharing information, communities can help prevent harm, protect young people and contribute to safer neighbourhoods.”
Patrick Green, chief executive of the Hackney-based Ben Kinsella Trust, said: “Every young person deserves to feel safe without feeling the need to carry a knife. We therefore welcome the Home Office’s ‘No Place for Knives’ campaign and its contribution to the wider effort to reduce knife crime and protect young lives.”
“A particular strength of ‘No Place for Knives’ is that it has drawn on young people’s input during its development. Young people understand better than anyone the pressures, anxieties and misconceptions that can lead to knife carrying. By listening to young people and reflecting their experiences in the campaign, the Home Office has created a stronger and more authentic platform for encouraging safer choices and preventing violence.”
The choice of Westminster and Croydon reflects where the harm is concentrated. Weapons possession offences in the two boroughs have been tracked in recent official figures, and the campaign’s enforcement push sits alongside longer-running prevention work in the capital, including efforts that have already cut knife-related hospital admissions.
Whether the pilot changes behaviour in the two hotspots will be judged on what happens next: fewer knives carried, fewer attacks, and fewer young lives damaged. For now, the message on tube platforms, bus stops and the Boxpark mural is blunt – carrying a knife in these areas means facing a police response designed to find it.
