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Knife Robberies Down 15% in Hotspots as UK Targets County Lines

Ministers credit targeted taskforce policing plus county lines disruption for the early drop.

Overview

  • After the Knife-Enabled Robbery Taskforce focused policing on seven forces, knife-point robberies fell to 13,633 from 16,067 since June 2024, reversing a 14% rise recorded last year.
  • The County Lines Programme reports 3,042 lines closed and 8,226 arrests since July 2024, with more than 900 knives seized.
  • Officials say 4,323 vulnerable people were referred for safeguarding and over 600 young people received specialist support via Catch22.
  • Hospital admissions for stabbings in areas exporting high volumes of Class A drugs are down by a quarter, equating to about 840 fewer patients.
  • Ministers highlight knife surrender schemes removing nearly 60,000 weapons, stronger online age checks under Ronan’s Law, and a public consultation on licensing knife sellers and importers.