The fight against knife crime remains a top priority.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Donna Jones has praised police and the public for their efforts in tackling knife crime, following a 22 per cent reduction in serious knife-related offences over the past three years.

The decline, recorded between 2022 and December 2024, saw incidents drop from 1,302 to 1,010 across the two counties.

During May’s Operation Sceptre, a national week of action targeting knife crime, Ms Jones joined officers on the frontline and thanked the public for their support in helping to remove dangerous weapons from the streets.

PCC Donna Jones speaks out after knife crime falls 22%PCC Donna Jones speaks out after knife crime falls 22% (Image: OPCC Communications) She said: "Knives kill and they injure people.

"A multi-agency approach is needed to ensure the most robust approach to dealing with the impact of knife-carrying and the devastating after-effects of knife crime.

"It remains one of my top priorities as Police and Crime Commissioner."

May’s Operation Sceptre saw 890 knives recovered and 19 knife-related arrests, compared to 338 knives and 30 arrests during the previous campaign in November 2024.

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Ms Jones joined officers during the operation in Commercial Road, Portsmouth, for a public engagement event alongside staff from South Central Ambulance Service and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service.

She said: "I am determined to keep young people safe and the work we have already done in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight has seen us with one of the biggest reductions in knife crime across the country, but there is more work to be done.

"One knife on the street is one too many."

The PCC said police are working in all towns and cities across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to identify and support young people at risk of carrying knives.

She said: "Sceptre plays an important role in getting more knives off the streets and getting to the root causes of why someone decides to carry a knife."

The PCC funds a number of intervention programmes through her Violence Reduction Unit, including school-based education, custody navigators, and community grants.

These programmes target individuals under the age of 25 and focus on prevention and diversion.