In the past 12 months there has been an 18% reduction in recorded knife crime in Avon and Somerset.
Detective Chief Inspector Lucy Edgeworth, newly appointed Knife Crime Lead for Avon and Somerset Police, said: “We’ve seen in recent years how young people carrying knives has had fatal consequences, needlessly tearing families apart and increasing fear in our communities.
“The latest knife crime figures suggest that our combined efforts to reduce violent crime, with partners and the public, are working. But this is a long-term challenge and we must not become complacent.
“We’ll continue focusing our resources on addressing the root causes of serious violence, from early education and intervention strategies that empower children to make safe choices, to tackling the accessibility of weapons and holding retailers to account for unlawfully selling blades to under-18s.
“As a mother of teenagers, a detective and now the knife crime lead for the force, I’m determined to do all we can to prevent further harm to children and the wider community.
“My message to parents, carers and other responsible adults is please stay alert to where your children are outside of school, who they spend their time with, and any concerning changes in their behaviour.
“You can use our partner resources to speak to them openly about the consequences of carrying a knife.”
The majority of knife or offensive weapon offences committed by under-18s are possession offences. While only 1 in 100 young people choose to carry a knife, police and partners in education, health and social care, local authorities, community groups and non-profit organisations are committed to educating all young people of the dangers and consequences.
Krystal Keeley, Director at Unique Voice, said: “This is Bristol creativity at its best – using storytelling, empathy and collaboration to address one of the most pressing issues facing young people today.
“We’ve seen first-hand the power of giving young people a platform to lead change, and now we’re proud to share this approach with communities nationwide.”
An interactive knife crime scenario had an exciting debut at Bristol’s Lifeskills safety education centre in March. The activity encourages Year 6 children to reflect on their decision-making in different situations and to choose the safest path in each.
“They also learn how and where they can seek help if they are concerned about knife crime or somebody else’s behaviour.
Since go-live, Lifeskills have welcomed more than 5,500 visitors to the scenario. In the academic year 2025/26, 11,000 visitors are expected.
The running costs of the scenario are being funded by a local partnership between Avon and Somerset Police, Avon Metals and Lifeskills.
The initiative sees knives safely removed from surrender bins at police and community sites, smelted into ingots and sold commercially to raise money for this safety education, allowing children from all backgrounds to access the knife crime resource.
Retailers that fail police ‘test purchase’ operations also contribute to the scenario’s costs as part of their out-of-court resolution and training.
Older schoolchildren in Year 8 and above continue to engage in hour-long ‘Blunt Truth’ workshops in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Wiltshire.
As well as addressing the challenging topic of knife crime and its life-changing consequences, children are also taught essential first aid skills for treating a bleeding victim by healthcare professionals.