Knife crime

Our law enforcement strategy is central to reducing knife crime, focusing on quick responses, prevention, and enforcement through a combination of targeted actions.

Through crime data analysis, 21 violent crime hotspots have been identified and are patrolled by uniformed officers following a random schedule, typically between 6pm and 2am. This high-visibility policing ensures a consistent presence in areas and at times where communities are most vulnerable to violent crime. Patrols are short but impactful, and often lead to long-term problem-solving solutions addressing the root causes of violence.

The GRIP funding has strengthened partnerships within Community Safety Partnerships, fostering collaboration on issues like violence against women and girls. GRIP funding has also supported two weeks each year of focused activity under Operation Sceptre, uniting various tactics to prevent knife crime.

• We have funded and installed 21 knife bins across Lancashire, providing a safe way for communities to dispose of weapons.
• Knife arches and wands are deployed by officers during targeted operations.
• In partnership with Trading Standards, we conduct test purchases and enforcement actions to ensure shops are selling knives lawfully and responsibly.
• Increased use of stop and search and knife sweep activities.
• Participation in national and regional knife crime initiatives to ensure Lancashire benefits from coordinated enforcement efforts.

Education is a big part of how we work to prevent knife crime in Lancashire. By partnering with organisations like local football community trusts, The Message Trust, and campaigners with lived experience, we deliver engaging sessions that help young people understand the dangers of carrying knives and making unsafe choices.

We visit schools, youth settings, and communities to provide workshops, talks, and interactive sessions that focus on the real-life consequences of knife crime. These sessions often feature powerful stories from individuals who have been directly impacted by violence, helping young people to see the bigger picture and think about their own choices. Many of these sessions include opportunities for young people to ask questions, share their thoughts, and discuss ways to keep themselves and communities safe.

Whether it’s through creative approaches like combining music and storytelling, or open discussions led by mentors, we aim to give young people the tools they need to make positive decisions and stay safe.

Working with communities is a key part of how we tackle knife crime and serious violence. By engaging with people at a local level, we aim to understand their concerns, priorities, and ideas for making their neighbourhoods safer.

We actively involve young people in shaping our strategies. Through youth consultations, we’ve worked with over 140 young people to hear their views on violence affecting their lives and communities. One project in Burnley saw young people creating surveys and videos to highlight their aspirations for a safer future.

We’ve also hosted events like the Hope Hack, bringing together young people from across Lancashire to discuss big issues like community safety and relationships with the police. Supported by youth workers and professionals, these sessions encouraged open conversations and creative problem-solving.

Liverpool John Moore’s University has been commissioned to complete an academic evaluation of our knife crime assets and projects to enable us to take an evidence-based assessment of their use in the future.