Schools in knife crime hotspots to get training with £1.2m investment

Schools in knife crime hotspots to get training with £1.2m investmentJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleTom McArthurGetty ImagesUp to 250 schools in knife crime hotspots will receive specialist training in a bid to divert children from serious violence, the government has announced.The government said £1.2m investment will help fund the measures which could include mentoring for high-risk students and chaperones on school routes.It comes as the government is expected to set out more details of how it plans to meet its ambition to halve knife crime within a decade.The Conservatives accused the government of a "massive cheek", saying they "created this mess in the first place with their police cuts", while the Liberal Democrats said "these measures alone won't be enough to end the plight" of knife crime.Knife crime continued a downward trend in 2025, with offences down by 9% on the year prior and pre-Covid levels, according to data published by the Office for National Statistics in January.While urban areas have long seen more instances of knife crime, some research suggests it has become more of a widespread issue over time.The Safety In and Around Schools Partnership will train school leaders on the risk of knife crime and develop "local solutions to improve pupil safety and prevent serious violence".More intensive and tailored support will be provided to around 50 of the 250 schools, the government said.New hyper-local mapping technology, developed by the Home Office, will also apparently pinpoint knife-crime hotspots down to the nearest 10 sqm (107.6 sq ft).It says this technology will allow police to identify where knife crime is highest, particularly when children are commuting to school, and will help determine which schools could benefit the most from help.The partnership is being run by charity the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), which works to prevent violence among young people, and is supported by the Depart...