Protecting Lives, Building Hope – A Plan to Halve Knife Crime
The Government launched the “Protecting Lives, Building Hope – A Plan to Halve Knife Crime” (the “Plan”) to strengthen the response to ending knife crime. The Plan attempts to balance enforcement and prevention, setting out cross-government activity and investment that are aimed at delivering four outcomes, to drive a sustained reduction in knife crime; (i) SUPPORT young people so that they get a better start in life, (ii) STOP those at risk from turning to knife crime, (iii) POLICE the streets to punish perpetrators and stop offending, and (iv) END the cycle of knife crime.
Details
In 2024, the Government launched the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, as part of its manifesto commitment to halve knife crime in a decade. The Plan is a long-term evidence-based strategy that tackles the root causes of knife crime, prevents escalation, targets offenders and stops repeat harm. The four outcomes will be achieved as follows:
- SUPPORT Action must be taken early and the root cause of knife crime must be addressed to prevent childhood harms and traumas that can increase the risk of knife violence offending later in life. It is crucial that children who have had adverse experiences are not stigmatized and should be provided with positive support that does not re-traumatise them.
- STOP By reducing exposure to harm, exploitation and coercion, knife crime can be prevented by intervening earlier with individuals most at risk of engaging in violent offending. By intervening early with young people in danger of criminal involvement, fewer people may be drawn into knife crime. The Government has published new guidance for child knife possession offences, and police will now swiftly refer every youth knife possession case to Youth Justice Services.
- POLICE Police visibility will be enhanced to help intervene early and intelligence-led Stop and Search will be used to prevent knife crime before it occurs and bring offenders to justice. The Plan also expands data-driven policing, mapping every knife-enabled offence to identify where and when knife crime is most likely to happen. The Government is also investing in technology, including the responsible use of artificial intelligence and additional live facial recognition vans, to detect offenders and target enforcement more precisely.
- END To end the cycle of repeat harm, there must be a focus on reducing reoffending and revictimisation by strengthening rehabilitation, supervision and support for those already involved in crime. The Plan sets a clear national standard for Youth Out of Court Resolutions so children get the right support early, wherever they live.
Commentary
By combining early support, targeted intervention, data-driven policing and specialist rehabilitation, the Government aims to drive lasting change. The Plan looks to change how the police and Youth Justice Services work together to ensure every young person found carrying a knife receives meaningful intervention.
Youth justice professionals will also be expected to work within increasingly joined-up, multi-agency arrangements. The Serious Violence Duty places a requirement on Youth Justice Services to work with the police, local authorities, health, fire and probation services to understand, prevent and reduce serious violence.
In addition, the increased use of data-driven policing also has practical implications. Youth justice professionals may need to engage with police and local partners about how data, risk indicators and analytical tools are used. Given the Plan’s recognition of the racial disparities in the use of Stop and Search, professionals should scrutinise data, challenge bias, and ensure that interventions are applied fairly, proportionately and consistently.