Major knife crime plan unveiled as grieving mum hails lifesaving measures
The Home Office has unveiled its long-awaited knife crime strategy with measures to ramp up support for young people and new technology to help police pinpoint places and times to patrol
Pastor Lorraine Jones Burrell has welcomed the Government’s focus on intervention(Image: David Dyson)
A grieving mum whose son was stabbed to death while trying to save a friend has welcomed new plans to tackle Britain’s knife crime epidemic.
Pastor Lorraine Jones Burrell told The Mirror that lives will be saved thanks to Labour’s commitment to build and equip hundreds of youth facilities across England. On Tuesday the Home Office unveiled its long-awaited strategy to halve knife crime within a decade.
New measures include ramping up the use of state-of-the-art mapping technology to identify hotspots, and scaling up the use of live facial recognition, knife arches and neighbourhood patrols.
Meanwhile figures released on Tuesday show more than 3,000 additional police officers and Police Community Support Officers have been put into neighbourhood roles in less than a year.
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Pastor Lorraine’s 20-year-old son Dwayne Simpson was killed in 2014, when he stepped in after seeing a friend being chased by a man with a knife. The church minister said: “My heart was shattered the day my son Dwayne was taken from me through knife crime. That pain never leaves you but I made a decision to turn that pain into power.”
Since the general election in 2024, knife crime has dropped by 8% and over 63,000 blades have been removed from circulation. The new strategy will see £26million ploughed into a Knife Crime Concentrations Fund – supporting 27 police forces whose areas account for 90% of knife crime in England and Wales.
It also includes plans to give 250 schools in hotspots specialist training and support to keep kids safe. There will also be 50 Young Futures Hubs in worst-affected areas by the end of the current Parliament. These will provide vital support and safe spaces for under-18s.
Pastor Lorraine, from Brixton, South London, said: “Knife crime does not start with a weapon. It starts with unmet needs, pain, lack of guidance, lack of opportunity, and sometimes a lack of love. Youth clubs directly address these root causes and interrupt the pathway to violence, including knife crime, by offering a positive alternative.”
Since her son’s death aged just 20, she has helped support hundreds of youngsters at Dwaynamics Boxing Gym, set up by Dwayne and run in his memory. Pastor Lorraine said such projects show the power of early intervention – a key tenet of the Government’s plan.
She said: “I think of Tracy, who came through our doors at just 17 years old. She was a victim of county lines exploitation, frightened and hurting.
“When she arrived at Dwaynamics Boxing Gym, she was carrying trauma no child should carry. She told us a close friend had just been stabbed and killed and she feared she would be next. She said clearly, ‘I would be lost if I didn’t have Dwaynamics.’ We wrapped our love, support, and belief around her.”
New mapping technology allows police to narrow down hotspots to just 100 square metres. This means they can pinpoint specific streets and times where the dangers are highest. This has been shared with police forces across England and Wales.
Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said: “Knife crime devastates lives and families across the country – and the majority of it takes place on just a small number of streets across the country.
“We will deploy state of the art mapping to identify these hotspots and target them with police patrols, Live Facial Recognition and knife arches to catch these criminals.
“This Government will halve knife crime within a decade, saving lives and protecting communities.”
The strategy focuses on supporting young people and stopping those at risk to turning to violence. More than £34million is committed to the County Lines Programme this year, aimed at disrupting drug networks and preventing exploitation.
There will also be £15million for the Ministry of Justice to carry out tailored interventions to steer young people away from further crime and violence. And £5.5million is being spent on embracing new technology to stop knife crime.
Nathaniel Peat, founder of The SafetyBox said: “Early intervention in schools is not optional, it is essential. If we are serious about changing outcomes for young people, we must invest in mental wealth, emotional resilience, and personal development before harm takes hold.
There is an urgent need to divert young people away from exploitation, violence, and knife crime, and toward structured, positive pathways. With the government’s plan, lasting change must start at the foundation.”
