Major conference to combat knife crime to be held in London

by London-TV in Business

A major conference aiming to combat Britain’s knife crime epidemic will take place in London tomorrow.
The inaugural Reducing Knife Harm Conference (Thursday November 20) will unite experts from government, policing, academia, public health and charities to discuss evidence-based solutions and public attitudes.
One of the key topics under discussion will be the growing call for widespread adoption of blunt, round-tipped kitchen knives in place of the sharper blades commonly found in homes.
The conference will explore how redesigning everyday knives, particularly through rounded-tip innovations, can maintain full kitchen functionality while significantly reducing their potential for harm.
Leanne Lucas, who survived a knife attack in Southport last summer, has been at the forefront of this campaign through her Let’s Be Blunt initiative. Ms Lucas, a primary-school teacher, will speak at the event, which is also supported by the Ben Kinsella Trust.
The conference will be hosted by the Safer Knives Group, a coalition of professionals with varied experience of knife-related injuries. The group advocates for practical, public-health-based approaches to reducing knife harm.
Members include a judge, forensic psychiatrist, major trauma surgeon, forensic practitioner and an MP.
Also speaking at the event will be:
• Sarah Jones MP, Crime and Policing Minister:
• Dr Lade Smith CBE, President, Royal College of Psychiatrists;
• His Honour Nic Madge, former Circuit Judge and Co-Founder, Safer Knives Group;
• Commander Stephen Clayman, National Police Chiefs Council Lead for Knife Crime.
Key themes:
• Designing Safer Knives – product innovation to reduce risk;
• Public Health Approaches – understanding knife harm as a preventable health issue;
• Community-Led Solutions – grassroots action and lived experience.
Latest Government data underlines the scale of the challenge. In the year ending March 2025, there were around 53,000 offences involving a sharp instrument in England and Wales. In the year ending March 2024, Home Office figures recorded 262 homicides involving a sharp instrument, including knives and broken bottles, representing 46% of all homicides (570) in England and Wales that year.
The Reducing Knife Harm Conference is hosted by the Safer Knives Group and generously supported by the Economic and Social Research Council, Leeds Social Science Institute. It will be held at the Royal College of Psychiatrists in London.