‘Knife crime hotspots’ schools to get specialist training
As many as 250 schools in areas deemed ‘knife crime hotspots’ will be given specialist training in efforts to protect children from serious violence. The government has announced £1.2 million investments to fund the training, including mentoring for ‘high-risk students’ as well as chaperones on some school routes.
This comes as the government plans to lay out further information about its plans to halve knife crime within a decade.
Knife crime continued on a downward trend last year as offences fell by 9% compared with 2024 and the pre-pandemic levels, data published by the Office for National Statistics in January revealed. Although urban areas are typically seeing the larger instances of knife crime, some research is suggesting that it has been more of a widespread problem.
The Safety In and Around Schools Partnership will provide training to school leaders on the risks of knife crime. It will work on “local solutions to improve pupil safety and prevent serious violence.”
Around 50 of the 250 schools will be given tailored and more intensive support, according to the government. Hyperlocal mapping technology from the Home Office will highlight hotspots down to 10 square metres (107.6 square feet).
The technology will allow police to identify areas are knife crime hotspots, especially when children are on their way to school. It will help in determining which schools may benefit from more help.
The charity, Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) is running the partnership, working to prevent violence among the youth. It is supported by the Department for Education, the Ministry of Justice, and the Home Office.
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