New Knife Crime Strategy for Surrey Announced

Published on: 28 May, 2025
Updated on: 30 May, 2025

Surrey’s Police & Crime Commissioner, Lisa Townsend

By Esme Campbell

A new strategy to tackle Surrey knife crime was unveiled last week by the Police and Crime Commissioner which focuses on working with communities to prevent offences and bring knife crime numbers down in the county.

The strategy, which is the work of the Surrey Serious Violence Reduction Partnership, will include speaking with the public, engaging with children and young people and working with legal knife sellers to encourage responsible retail.

It follows the ‘four Es’ of engagement, education, effective intervention and enforcement.

A total of 496 serious knife crime offences were reported in Surrey in the year ending September 2024, around half the national average of 1,265 for the same period.

Lisa Townsend, the Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “Surrey remains one of the safest places to live in the country.

“But this type of offending is still ruining lives, and we cannot afford to be complacent. Any crime involving a knife or blade can have the gravest of consequences.

“Those who carry knives are often under the dangerous misconception that by doing so, they are better-protected.

“However, evidence suggests they are actually more likely to become a victim of knife crime.”

Research by the Youth Endowment Fund shows that people who carry a blade are more likely to be victims of knife crime than those who don’t.

The majority of these individuals are male and between the ages of 11 and 20. Most who carry a knife are motivated by peer pressure and a fear of knife crime.

“One life lost to knife crime is one life too many,” Townsend said.

“A knife can turn what was simply a minor disagreement into something far more frightening, serious, and even life-threatening.

“During my visits to Surrey schools, I have become aware of the real fear young people have of knife crime – a perception created partly through social media.

“This constant exposure to weapons can have a real impact, and part of Op Sceptre, and of the new strategy, is to work with children and young people to help them understand the reality of the situation in Surrey.

“We must all work together to keep the county safe.”