South West London has seen a significant decrease in knife crime, with levels hitting their lowest in four years, according to data from the Metropolitan Police.
The region saw 2,170 knife crime offences in 2025/26, a 22% drop from 2,793 offences the previous year.
Knife crime had risen to a record high across the whole of London in 2024/25, and changes in the approach to tackling the issue now seem to be bearing fruit with an almost 15% reduction across the capital.
Sacha Ray, CEO of Croydon-based charity Lives Not Knives, said: “What we are seeing in the South West with those figures is that this is a grassroots community action response along with strategic government investment and the difference that makes.
“There’s an understanding that there has to be a holistic approach to tackling this issue on all sides of this because there is no one answer.”
In April, the government published the Protecting Lives, Building Hope plan to halve knife crime by 2034 by balancing early intervention with a new approach to enforcement.
The plan called upon advice from an array of charities in its formulation, with Lives Not Knives participating.
Ray explained: “We recently fed into the halving knife crime plan and, having worked in communities since 2007, we are buoyed by the fact there is a granular approach rather than the usual kind of generic one-size-fits-all approach.
“They have really thought about working at the grassroots level, which many charities in the sector have been talking about for some time.
“It’s heartening to say the least because knife crime is not a problem that any single body can solve in isolation.”
Ray highlighted the success the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has seen through bringing together local authorities, police, health services and community organisations.
The unit, which was formed in 2019 and is overseen by the Mayor of London, has delivered interventions in 800 schools and treats violence as a preventable public health issue, funding programmes to help those most at risk stay away from violence.
On Monday, the government announced an overhaul of the youth justice system, another initiative designed to steer young people away from crime through earlier intervention and better support systems.
Bruce Houlder, the founder of Richmond-based charity Fighting Knife Crime London said: “There has been a shift in focus. The Prime Minister’s pledge to crack down on knife crime is backed up by the recent four-strand report on tackling youth violence.
“The figures now show genuine reductions in knife crime across the country, and the work of so many communities and projects is now bearing positive fruit. It is vital we keep at it.”
Knife crime offences in London increased sharply after the COVID pandemic, surpassing pre-COVID levels.
The increase was driven by knives being used to threaten victims, and in March, this type of crime still accounted for 56% of knife-enabled offences, with a further 19% of incidents being a threat where the knife was not seen.
Ray is optimistic that knife crime will continue to fall due to the increased collaboration between charities and the government, but warns that progress cannot be taken for granted, with concerns that children as young as 10 are becoming involved in knife-related violence.
She said: “It’s about those preventative programmes taking root before you rip away the funding.
“The decade of austerity, where you stripped billions from the youth sector, closed youth clubs and removed the positive pathways, saw predictable consequences, and we can’t afford to make that mistake again.
“One stabbing is too many, one young person carrying a knife out of fear is too many. It not only harms direct victims; it traumatises families, it fractures communities and robs young people of their sense of safety and possibility.”
South West London boroughs Richmond upon Thames, Kingston upon Thames and Sutton recorded the fewest knife crime offences in London in the last year, with each seeing a significant reduction from the previous year.
Lambeth remained the highest, followed by Croydon, but every single borough saw a year on year reduction.
Gareth Roberts, Leader of Richmond Council, said: “Richmond is consistently ranked the safest borough in London — and that’s no accident — but we also know that even one incident of serious violence is one too many.
“That’s why tackling violence and keeping our communities safe remains a top priority.”
Roberts points to the council’s strong ties with police, health services and community partners through the Violence Reduction Action Plan, which targets the root causes of violence and supports those most at risk.
He added: “Through initiatives like Project X and a strong focus on early intervention and prevention, we’re taking action to reduce harm and keep Richmond a safe place to live, work and visit.”
Featured image credit: Unsplash
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