THE OFFICE of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley has announced that knife crime is down in the region, according to new figures.
Marking Knife Crime Awareness Week, PCC Matthew Barber has cited figures from the Office of National Statistics which show that knife-enabled crime decreased by nearly 10% in the Thames Valley region last year.
They log a total of 1067 knife related incidents in 2024 compared to 1179 in 2023– a reduction of 9%.
Thames Valley Police joined in the national focus on tackling knife crime by continuing patrols of areas previously linked to knife crime offenders and carrying out weapon sweeps in public spaces with partners.
They also worked to promote the 33 amnesty bins in police stations and other locations across Thames Valley providing the opportunity for members of the public to dispose of knives and bladed articles in a safe and legal way.
A range of work is still underway in the Thames Valley showing the positive impact to what the force calls a multi-agency and holistic approach.
Operation Deter, spearheaded by Matthew Barber, also completed its roll out in the whole of Thames Valley in December last year.
For adults, it sees a zero-tolerance approach to knife crime, seeking swift charge and remand decisions to those who carry knives.
For children and young people, Op Deter Youth seeks earlier and intensive intervention through local Youth Offending Teams to aim to divert those caught with knives from the criminal justice system and prevent further offending.
It begins while the young person is still in custody, looking at the root causes of offending to determine if they are being exploited and encourage them to engage to break the cycle of offending.
This is part of a wider Thames Valley strategy to prevent violence and use of offensive weapons with a strong focus on prevention delivered by Justice Youth Services under the Act Now pathway.
It comes after Matthew Barber committed £900,000 of funding to expand the programme following successful pilots in Milton Keynes and Slough.
The rollout will see all nine Youth Justice Services delivering Op Deter Youth, which will be available in every Thames Valley Police custody suite.
Mr Barber said: “Knife enabled crime is decreasing in the Thames Valley, which is encouraging however, we can’t be complacent.
“This is a testimony to the excellent work taking place by the force and with our partner organisations, to raise awareness, prevent and tackle knife crime and violence more generally.
“Knife crime remains a top priority and has a devastating impact on individuals and communities.
“Although the figures in the Thames Valley are going in the right direction, we know this is an issue that needs continued focus if we are to see reductions over the long term.”
Knife Crime Awareness Week 2025 focuses on empowerment. Backed by a growing network of charities, community groups, and professionals, this year’s campaign aims to shift the narrative.
Rather than focusing solely on the problem, it highlights the people and initiatives already making a difference on the ground. Op Deter is one such initiative, part of a robust, evidence-based response centred on prosecution, intervention and prevention to tackle serious violence in Thames Valley.
