Policing Minister Sarah Jones said forces will be ‘present, visible and relentless’ as the Home Office launches a winter crime blitz with new steps to address knife crime
Labour’s policing minister last night pledged officers will be “present, visible and relentless” in a winter crime blitz.
Sarah Jones said forces would be using sophisticated mapping to identify local knife crime hotspots. Today the Government launches a Winter of Action in hundreds of town and city centres, which Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood branded a ” crime-fighting blitz”.
Writing for The Mirror, Ms Jones said: “ This winter, the message is simple: we will be present, visible and relentless. We will focus on the places where harm is concentrated, back our officers with strong partnerships, and stand with communities to reclaim public spaces.”
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She said Hex mapping – which breaks local areas into small hexagonal zones so that hyper-local issues can be spotted – will be used. These zones are roughly the size of 10 football pitches, with pilots being set up in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, Peterborough and London.
Andrew Moys, vice president for impact at McDonald’s – which supports the Winter of Action, told The Mirror : “The government’s Winter of Action is a rallying point for all of us – businesses, councils, law enforcement, and community groups – to stand together.
“Because the truth is, tackling ASB and retail crime isn’t just about enforcement; it’s about prevention, education, and creating environments where positive behaviour thrives.”
Pooja Kanda, whose son Ronan was stabbed to death with a ninja sword in 2022 as he walked home in Wolverhampton, said: “For too long, our streets have been allowed to become scenes of violence. The government’s HEX initiative represents decisive action—long overdue action.
“The introduction of HEX patrols will help residents feel safer and enable people to enjoy the city centre without fear. Since many violent incidents occur in busy areas, we strongly welcome this initiative.
“When my son was murdered by a 16-year-old carrying a 22-inch ninja sword on the streets in broad daylight, the government responded by banning that weapon, showing strong and timely leadership. I believe that same determination is now being shown through the HEX patrol hubs, which offer real hope of preventing further tragedies.”
The Home Office says the latest crackdown – targeting shoplifting and street crime – builds on work over the summer which led to over 16,000 arrests and fines. This saw targeted visible patrols ramped up by almost 20% compared to the previous year.
Ms Mahmood said: “Shoplifting and anti-social behaviour are tearing at the fabric of our communities. This winter we are launching a crime – fighting blitz with police patrolling our high streets across the country.
“This is part of our wider plans to fight crime with 3,000 more police on the beat by the Spring to catch criminals and make our communities safe.”
Crime data shows shoplifting and other forms of theft fell by 20% in Greater Manchester, with street crime down by 11%.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “It is encouraging to see Government taking action against retail crime which has climbed over the past few years.
“Last year saw record highs of theft, violence and abuse, and incidents tend to spike around Christmas.”