UK steps up facial recognition, e-bikes patrol to tackle London knife crime

The United Kingdom Government has launched a new knife crime prevention campaign in parts of London.

This is as it warns offenders of increased police operations involving metal detection, live facial recognition technology and additional patrols.

The campaign, tagged ‘No Place for Knives’, was launched on Monday, November 2, 2026, in Westminster and Croydon, with advertisements planned for tube stations, bus stops, social media platforms and a mural at Boxpark Croydon.

The Home Office, in a statement published on Monday, said the campaign was designed to deter knife crime in identified hotspots and raise awareness of intensified police activity.

The enforcement measures include “smarter metal detection, rapid-response electric bikes, additional foot patrols and live facial recognition.”

The campaign is also being piloted in Birmingham city centre.

According to the Home Office, the initiative was developed in collaboration with the police and local authorities and targets people considered most at risk of committing knife-related offences.

The department said “Westminster, Croydon and 16 other boroughs in Greater London had received more than £8.1m through its Knife Crime Concentrations Fund to implement targeted interventions.”

It said the funding covered enforcement measures as well as preventive approaches, including youth outreach and visible local safety patrols in busy night-time economy areas.

The Home Office said recent figures showed that “knife crime had fallen by 11 per cent since the General Election,” while “knife-related homicides dropped by 25 per cent and knife-enabled robbery by 18 per cent.”

In London, “knife crime reportedly declined by 14 per cent over the same period, while knife-related homicides fell by 34 per cent and knife-enabled robbery by 19 per cent.”

Policing and Crime Minister Sarah Jones said residents of Westminster and Croydon deserved to feel safe in their neighbourhoods.

“Everyone in Westminster and Croydon deserves to feel safe on their streets. We know that hearing of knife crime incidents happening in your city can have the opposite effect and we want to stop that,” she said.

She added that the government was working with the police to target knife crime in areas where it caused the greatest harm.

“‘No Place for Knives’ sends a clear message: action is being taken and we will not accept people putting young lives and our communities at risk,” Jones said.

The campaign forms part of the government’s wider mission to halve knife crime within a decade through tougher enforcement, prevention and early intervention.

Commander Pete Stevens of the Metropolitan Police said knife crime had devastating consequences for victims’ families and entire communities.

“Our officers work tirelessly to combat this senseless violence, proactively directing our resources towards the people who pose the most risk,” he said.

Stevens said knife-enabled crime fell by 14.9 per cent across London in the last financial year, while the number of people hospitalised after attacks involving sharp weapons had declined by 29 per cent over five years.

The Director of Operations at Crimestoppers, Mick Duthie, encouraged people with information about knife carrying and violence to report it anonymously.

He said sharing information could help prevent harm, protect young people and contribute to safer neighbourhoods.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ben Kinsella Trust, Patrick Green, welcomed the campaign, particularly the involvement of young people in its development.

He said young people understood the pressures, anxieties and misconceptions that could lead to knife carrying.

Green said incorporating their experiences into the campaign would provide a stronger platform for encouraging safer choices and preventing violence.