The London Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), set up by the mayor in 2019, has engaged one million people in the capital, its leaders announced on Thursday, as official figures show significant falls in hospital admissions for knife assaults and in police‑recorded knife-enabled crime.
Prevention-focused programme reaches citywide scale
City Hall said the VRU has reached 750,000 young people alongside 250,000 parents, carers, youth workers and other professionals involved in young people’s lives. The unit, which adopts a public health approach to youth violence, concentrates on prevention, early intervention and diversion rather than a sole emphasis on enforcement.
Mayor Sadiq Khan hailed the milestone and urged the national government to provide longer-term financial certainty for the unit’s work. The VRU has operated with a mix of mayoral and central funding, often awarded on an annual basis.
“A public health approach to tackling violence and exploitation works,” Khan said. “Our investment has not only provided interventions and positive opportunities; it has also delivered support and training for thousands of youth workers, mentors and school staff that work with young people across our city.”
Sharp reductions in serious harm linked to knives
NHS data cited by the VRU show hospital admissions for knife assaults have fallen by 54% in London since 2019, the year the unit was created. Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures for the year to June 2026 also recorded a 12% decrease in police‑recorded knife‑enabled crime in London compared with the previous year.
City Hall and the VRU stress the reductions are part of complex, long-term trends and caution that progress has not been steady across every year or age group.
| Measure | Change since 2019 |
|---|---|
| Hospital admissions for knife assaults | −54% |
| Police-recorded knife-enabled crime (year to June 2026 v year to June 2025) | −12% |
Impact on teenage and young adult homicide rates
While long-term declines have been recorded, the VRU and health services note volatility in recent years. From 2019 to 2025, homicides among 13 to 19‑year‑olds fell by 68%, and among 13 to 24‑year‑olds by 61%. However, the pattern was uneven: 2021 saw a spike in teenage homicides, with 30 deaths — a record for London — and this year there have been nine teenage homicides so far, compared with eight in 2025 and 25 in 2019.
Lib Peck, director of the VRU, said the unit focuses on supporting young people during moments of “crisis or vulnerability”, providing interventions and training aimed at reducing exposure to violence.
“We supported young people in the capital at points of crisis or vulnerability,” Lib Peck said.
Calls for multi-year funding
Although the VRU describes its approach as effective, the mayor reiterated a plea for multi-year funding from Whitehall. He argued that annual allocations — which City Hall says have been about £10m in some years — make long-term planning difficult.
A Home Office spokesperson acknowledged funding decisions but did not announce changes at the time figures were released.
What this means locally
For Londoners, the VRU’s work aims to reduce the chances that young people will become victims or perpetrators of serious violence by addressing root causes, increasing access to education and employment pathways and bolstering support services for families and community organisations.
Key components of the VRU’s strategy include:
- Prevention programmes aimed at children and teenagers
- Training and support for youth workers, mentors and school staff
- Targeted interventions at moments of crisis or vulnerability
City Hall said a full breakdown of activities and local partnerships would be published alongside outcome data, with the VRU continuing to work with the Metropolitan Police, NHS trusts, local councils and voluntary sector bodies across London.
As the capital seeks to consolidate recent declines in knife harm, the VRU’s leadership and its municipal backers are pressing for stable funding so preventative projects can be sustained and scaled.
By building relationships with families, teachers and frontline youth services, the unit aims to convert the headline milestone of one million contacts into enduring reductions in violence across London’s neighbourhoods.
