New tech targets knifing hotspots to within 0.1 of a square km

West Midlands Police is among 27 forces across England and Wales set to receive a share of £26 million from a government pot to cut knife crime.

Ministers say the new ‘Knife Crime Concentrations Fund’ will help deploy cutting-edge mapping technology to target violence at its source.

The funding forms part of the government’s wider strategy to halve knife crime within a decade.

Pinpointing problem streets

At the heart of the approach is new national mapping technology, known as “Hex mapping,” which identifies knife crime hotspots to a precision of just 0.1 square kilometres. 

Cops will use the data to pinpoint the specific streets and times when violence is most likely to occur, triggering surges in police activity including increased patrols, CCTV cameras, Live Facial Recognition and knife arches.

Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said the majority of knife crime takes place “on just a small number of streets across the country.”

She said: “This government will halve knife crime within a decade, saving lives and protecting communities.”