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.
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.