Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison has backed the expansion of a national knife crime crackdown following early success across the Humber region.
Humberside is one of seven police force areas to have already implemented plans designed to deliver on the government’s target of halving knife crime in the next decade.
The positive progress from the seven areas has led the Home Office to expand the scheme, which will target 236 knife crime hot spots across England and Wales.
Earlier this year, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Humberside secured funding of more than £450,000 to coordinate problem-solving approaches to reducing knife crime in the region.
Working with partners across policing, local authorities and organisations such as the Humber Violence Prevention Partnership (VPP), the OPCC has helped to devise strategies to reduce knife crime through hyper-local targeting and detailed analysis of affected areas.
These strategies have already been put into action in Humberside, following sign-off from the Home Office with funding released.
Commissioner Evison said: “I am delighted that our area has been recognised for the positive progress made in addressing the issue of knife crime through the successful programmes we have been able to plan and implement alongside our partners.
“It has taken a tremendous amount of work over the last few months to reach this stage. I thank those within the OPCC and Humber VPP who have worked to analyse the Humber areas of most need and coordinate the response, as well as those at Humberside Police and the Community Safety Partnerships who have made excellent contributions.
“Coordinating the local response to preventing knife crime is a major feature of my Police and Crime Plan. While strong policing is key, it is also vital we act early to prevent knife crime with smart interventions. Combined, we can combat senseless loss of life and make our streets safer.”
The Knife Crime Concentration Fund (KCCF) was created to support the 27 police force areas most affected by knife crime. These areas account for 90 per cent of knife-related offences in England and Wales.
The hot spots will see more police patrols and tougher enforcement, CCTV and early prevention work targeted towards those most at risk of being a victim or perpetrator of knife crime.
The KCCF can also be used to improve public spaces, including better lighting and area redesigns to prevent weapons from being hidden.
Since June 2024, knife crime across England and Wales is down by 11 per cent, with the government aiming to halving it within a decade, while a combination of enforcement and amnesty schemes has seen more than 63,000 knives and weapons taken off streets.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community, and no young life should be blighted by knife crime.
“Targeted policing and prevention, focused on the areas where the need is greatest, is already cutting knife robberies by nearly a quarter. That means safer streets, and fewer lives lost.
“I am now taking this approach to more than 230 areas across the country. This Government is getting tough on knife crime and on the causes of knife crime to make our communities safer.”
