The UK government announced on 18 September 2026 that it is extending its knife crime crackdown to more than 230 areas across 27 police forces in England and Wales, building on a targeted crackdown that drove knife-enabled robbery down by nearly a quarter in seven forces since the general election.

New data released alongside the announcement shows that knife-enabled robbery fell by 23% — equivalent to more than 3,600 fewer incidents — across the Metropolitan Police, West Midlands Police, Greater Manchester Police, West Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Police, Avon and Somerset Police, and British Transport Police. The government also reported that overall knife crime is down by 11% since it took office, as it continues working towards a stated target of halving knife crime within a decade.

Each of the local plans, developed jointly by police forces and councils, will be tailored to its area. They are designed to combine tough enforcement — including enhanced police patrols and better data sharing to identify and arrest offenders — with programmes aimed at young people most at risk of becoming victims or perpetrators. Improvements to public spaces, such as better lighting and redesigning areas to prevent weapons being concealed, are also included.

The Home Office attributed the early reductions in part to concerted action in small, targeted areas, which it described as the most effective approach based on growing evidence. The expansion is supported through the Knife Crime Concentrations Fund.

On 17 September, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood visited the West Midlands — one of the areas receiving funding — where she met members of the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime at a local boxing gym. Among those present were Pooja Kanda OBE, founder of Justice for Ronan Kanda, Lynne Baird MBE, founder of the Daniel Baird Foundation, and Pastor Lorraine Jones Burrell MBE, founder of Dwaynamics — three women who have each lost children to knife crime.

Kanda said the reductions were "encouraging" but stressed that enforcement must sit "equally alongside prevention and early intervention." Baird welcomed the funding's applicability to preventative measures including education, while Jones Burrell said the announcement gave her "greater peace of mind, despite the tears that will always remain," describing it as "loss mixed with hope."

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