Dear Petitioner

Thank you for the petition submitted on the Change.org website about knife crime and the devastating impact this has on communities.

Keeping Londoners safe is the Mayor’s top priority. Every death from violence is an utter tragedy and it strengthens the Mayor’s resolve to do everything in his power to end the scourge of knife crime and violence and continue building a safer London for everyone. In London, the Mayor has championed a public health approach to tackling knife crime. He set up England’s first Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) in 2019 which aims to tackle violence through initiatives rooted in prevention and early intervention, he has also invested record sums in the Met including funding an extra 1,300 police officers.

The VRU investment provides both support and positive opportunities for young people, working with communities to give them the tools and resources to deliver change where they live.

Part of the VRU focuses on working to make schools and all educational settings inclusive to all children and young people. Their interventions focus on those at risk of exclusion and support them while in education. Key interventions include:

• Inclusive and Nurturing Schools Programme – This programme aims to keep children safe, supported, and thriving in school, tackle exclusions, and ensure children and young people have healthy relationship behaviours and attitudes.

• Pupil Referral Units and Alternative Provision mentoring – Youth workers and trusted adults provide mentoring to help support young people think about their future in a safe and encouraging environment.

In October 2023, the Mayor wrote to the Home Secretary to argue that knife crime is a nationwide problem requiring a nationwide response. He also urged the Government to bring forward legislation to ban dangerous knives including zombie knives and machete style knives. Finally, he argued that the Government must take a system-wide approach to addressing the drivers and causes of violence with greater emphasis on and investment in prevention.

The levels of sentencing available for specific offences are set down in law that is made by Parliament and regrettably these are not issues that the Mayor has direct influence over. However, the Mayor has continued to advocate for stronger sentences for those convicted of violence and knife crime and, as part of a consultation on the sentencing guidelines for violent offenders, the Mayor strongly argued for offences that involve the use of harmful weapons, such as knives, to lead to longer sentences.

As part of strengthening the sentences for those convicted of knife crime offences the Mayor has also been piloting the use of GPS tags for prisoners released back to London following a knife crime conviction. So far nearly 1,400 knife crime tags have been used to ensure that those completing their sentence in the community have strong measures to protect victims and the public, ensure they follow the conditions of their release and that quick enforcement action can be taken if they do not comply.

Despite his ongoing efforts to effect change in this area, the Mayor is adamant that one life lost to violence is always one too many and he accepts that there is more work to do. I hope that this provides you with some reassurance that the Mayor is committed to making London an even safer place for everyone.

Yours sincerely



Public Liaison Unit
Greater London Authority