PCC highlights the partnership work underway to help tackle knife crime

As Knife Crime Awareness Week drew to an end, the work the police and partners do, day in and day out, to tackle this issue is continuing. Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts has reaffirmed her commitment to reducing and preventing knife crime, sharing the different strategies, interventions and initiatives in place to help turn lives around.

The PCC said: “Derbyshire is a safe county, and whilst statistically we are fortunate not to suffer the same level of serious violence as other counties, this is our home, this affects our communities and we are not immune. We must work even harder to ensure knife crime and serious violence does not gain a foothold in our communities by protecting more young people from known risks that increase their susceptibility and lead them down the path to harm. 

“Working together in partnership is the only viable path to change, and I am pleased we have been able to fund a wide programme of interventions to reach young people at a critical stage of their journeys to adulthood. 

“Equally, I am reassured by the relentless efforts of officers to reassure and protect our communities with high visibility patrols and targeted work against known offenders. These measures are having an impact, with knife crime falling significantly over the past 12 months, but there is no room for complacency. Every life lost to knife crime and violence is a preventable tragedy, and we must not relent on our duty to keep our children, communities and families safe.”

Serious Violence including Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is one of six key priorities in the PCC’s new Police and Crime Plan as identified by the public during the Commissioner’s extensive engagement.

Recent data reveals total knife crime fell in Derbyshire by 10.9% between December 2023 and December 2024, continuing a downward trajectory which has seen knife crime reduce by 8.4% since December 2019.

The force is continuing to drive down the use and possession of knives, using a whole system approach that balances strong and robust enforcement with an education and awareness to disrupt violent culture. 

Crime prevention officers have attended more than 100 schools in the past 12 months to provide advice and information on the impact of carrying and using knives while the force has developed an innovative board game called ‘Shattered’ as a platform for communicating key safety messages around knife crime to young people.

Officers have also attended more than 100 public events with amnesty bins and conducted eight test purchase operations in partnership with Trading Standards across the county to monitor knife sales by retailers.

In other work, officers have continued to carry out plain clothed and uniformed patrols several times a week in five serious violence hotspots across the county, often alongside knife sweeps, with parks and other locations targeted based on local intelligence.  

The force has also introduced a bi-weekly Serious Violence Tasking Meeting on each division with the aim of preventing low level offenders of violent behaviour from reoffending or becoming involved in more serious crime.

At the start of the week, Chief Inspector Mike Sisman, from Derbyshire Constabulary’s Partnership & Prevention team said: “Tackling knife crime is a top priority for us in Derbyshire, and it is always pleasing, during Sceptre, to see the year-round work of our officers being showcased.

“We are all too aware of the tragic consequences of carrying a knife and the devastating ripple effect that this can have across our communities and will remain steadfast in our work to combat this."

Leader of Derby City Council Nadine Peatfield added: “Carrying a knife carries great risk for you or someone else. Please, lose the knife, not another life.”

Dr Fatima Eltinay, Chair of Neighbourhood Watch Derbyshire, also commented, saying: “The recent incidents in Derby have been a stark reminder of the challenges we face — but also of the strength we have when we stand united. Knife Crime Awareness Week is a chance to listen, support and act. Let’s work together to build safer, more compassionate communities.”

Public support is vital so that partner agencies can work together to help prevent knife crime and save lives and make our communities safer. 

• If you have any information or would like to make a report relating to knife crime, call 101.
• In an emergency, call 999.
• You can also report anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or through their partners at Fearless: Independent UK charity taking crime information anonymously | Crimestoppers
• You can also report online at: Report a crime | Derbyshire Constabulary