Knife-enabled crime continues to be on a downward trend in Thames Valley.

This Knife Crime Awareness Week (18-24 May), Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber, reflects on the broad range of work being done to reduce knife crime and serious violence across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Milton Keynes.

Matthew Barber said: “Knife crime devastates lives and leaves lasting trauma for families and local communities.

“From the first day I became Police and Crime Commissioner, I have made tackling knife crime and serious violence in the Thames Valley a top priority.

“One of the first measures I initiated was the adoption of a zero-tolerance approach to adults caught carrying knives. Operation Deter supports Thames Valley Police and the Crown Prosecution Service to make better use of charging and remanding options for adult knife carriers, taking more knives and offenders off our streets. First piloted in Milton Keynes in July 2022, Op Deter has been operational across the force since December 2024.

“A specific early intervention pathway for young people under the age of 18 arrested for knife-possession or knife-enabled offences followed.

“Operation Deter Youth sees rapid intervention from Youth Justice Services when an under-18 is arrested for knife-possession or knife-enabled offences anywhere in the Thames Valley. Youth Justice Services make contact with the young person within just 90 minutes after notification of arrest. A home visit is also completed within 48 hours of the young person leaving custody with support tailored to each young person then put in place to help steer them away from further offending.

“This fast-tracked process vastly increases the levels of engagement of young people, improving our chances of preventing future violence.

“The programme, which has been supported by almost £1 million of funding from my office, reached over 800 children and young people across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Milton Keynes in 2025/26.

“An initiative mirroring the Op Deter Youth approach, has been announced by Government for roll out nationally.

“I’m really proud that the pioneering work being done on youth violence here in Thames Valley has provided a template for the rest of the country to follow.

“However, robust policing and enforcement alone won’t solve the issue of serious violence in our communities. Partnership working and a whole systems approach are essential if we are to address the root causes of knife carrying and break the cycle of offending.  

“This is the focus of the Thames Valley Violence Prevention Partnership (VPP).

“Their community-based interventions, delivered in collaboration with a range of partners across local government, health, education and community organisations, are helping prevent the escalation of violence in our communities by diverting young people away from crime and supporting them to build skills for a safer future.

“In 2025/26 funding provided under the Violence Prevention Partnership:

• Delivered a focused deterrence programme to 161 young habitual knife carriers across Thames Valley. Under the focused deterrence model, a range of intensive and targeted support is offered to divert young people from crime whilst clearly communicating the enforcement consequences if offending continues.
• Delivered a Roblox-based online safety learning experience reaching over 180 local children.
• Secured almost £1 million of funding to embed community-based sports programmes across the Thames Valley through the StreetGames partnership.
• Trained 913 professionals on issues such as child exploitation

“The VPP is also working to support parents. Two free learning resources on child exploitation (7000 views) and online harm (5400 views) have been created to help parents, carers and educators spot the signs of child exploitation and prevent online harm.

“In addition, the Stay True to You approach helps to promote the safety of young people by supporting parents, carers, teachers, youth workers, sports coaches and community volunteers to have positive conversations about safety with young people.

“This prevention work is as critical as our policing response with the latter being further bolstered in the coming year through additional funding from the Knife Crime Concentration Fund to deliver focused, intensified patrols and targeted interventions in identified knife crime hotspots across Thames Valley.”

Matthew concluded: “I am hugely proud of the vast range of work that continues to be done across the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), Thames Valley Police and within our communities to reduce knife crime and serious violence, all of which is having a clear, measurable impact.

“We remain committed to tackling knife crime and violence across both the force and the OPCC, saving lives, preventing trauma and creating safer communities.”