Labour MP Elsie Blundell has welcomed the Government's expansion of its targeted knife crime crackdown, with £26.25 million being directed towards more policing, CCTV and prevention work across 27 police force areas in England and Wales.
Blundell said:
"Knife crime has a devastating impact on victims and communities."
She added that the Government's latest expansion would support increased police activity and early intervention, including in Greater Manchester.
£26.25m targeted at highest-risk areas
The Home Office says the Knife Crime Concentrations Fund will invest £26.25 million this year in 27 police force areas which together account for around 90% of knife crime in England and Wales.
More than 230 high-risk locations will see intensified action, including additional patrols, CCTV, better lighting and work with young people most at risk of becoming victims or perpetrators.
The approach is deliberately hyper-local, using mapping and crime data to identify the streets and times where knife crime is most concentrated.
Early results show knife robberies falling
The Government says the model has already produced results in seven forces, including Greater Manchester Police, the Metropolitan Police and West Midlands Police.
Across those seven areas, knife-enabled robbery fell by 23% since the 2024 General Election, equivalent to more than 3,600 fewer offences. Overall knife crime is down 11%, according to the Home Office.
Greater Manchester among areas benefiting
Greater Manchester is one of the 27 police force areas included in the programme.
Blundell said:
"Everyone should feel safe in their community."
The Greater Manchester element is expected to include a mix of visible policing and prevention work aimed at reducing violence before it happens.
Enforcement and prevention combined
The Government's wider knife crime strategy combines police enforcement with prevention.
That includes school-based interventions, investment in Violence Reduction Units, action against county lines networks and new technology designed to tackle knife crime.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said targeted enforcement and prevention was already showing that concentrated action in the areas with the greatest need could reduce offending.
Blundell's message is that tougher policing must go hand in hand with early intervention — targeting the places where knife crime is most concentrated while supporting young people before violence escalates.
