Knife crime crackdown targets 'high-harm hotspots'

Government funding will be used to tackle "high-harm hotspots" for knife crime in South Yorkshire after analysis revealed the region's worst-affected areas.

The Home Office said the vast majority of knife crime happened in the same areas and streets "over and over again".

Known as hyperlocal locations, the areas identified are Sheffield city centre, the Wicker, Page Hall, Rotherham town centre and Eastwood. Other areas include Barnsley town centre, Doncaster city centre and Hexthorpe.

South Yorkshire Deputy Mayor Kilvinder Vigurs said the funding would focus police resources on problem areas, with the aim of "reducing knife crime quickly and visibly".

The government is investing more than £26m to support surges in activity in the 27 police forces whose areas account for 90% of knife crime in England and Wales.

The exact funding for South Yorkshire Police has not yet been released.

Vigurs, who is responsible for policing and crime, said the funding would allow police to focus on "high-harm hotspots, not entire neighbourhoods or cities".

She said in a report: "It uses advanced national mapping technology to identify precise locations and peak times.

"And it funds intensive, short-term surges in police activity where knife crime is most concentrated."

The Home Office said the mapping technology allowed police to identify the highest knife crime hotspots down to a precision of 0.1 square kilometres.

Using micro-geography, forces can pinpoint the specific streets and times when knife crime occurs.

These areas will see a "dramatic surge" in police activity to catch these criminals, such as increased police patrols and new CCTV cameras.

The report also referenced an incident in March when a 14-year-old boy was badly injured in a stabbing in Market Square at Woodhouse.

It said: "While this assault raises concerns and rightly brings up questions, knife crime is on the decline, but we must not be complacent.

"A document is in the final stages of draft, setting out the approach to preventing and reducing knife-related harm.

"Given the strong evidence for early intervention in preventing violence, the majority of initiatives will aim to stop children and young people from becoming involved in violence before it occurs."

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