Violence Reduction Unit reaches 1m Londoners

The mayor of London's Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has reached one million people in the capital, it has been announced.

The unit, which was set up in 2019 by Lord Khan, has reached 750,000 young people and 250,000 parents, carers, youth workers and professionals that work with young people, to deliver a public health approach to youth crime in London.

The number of young people admitted to hospital for knife assaults in London fell by 54% since 2019, the year the VRU was created, according to NHS data.

Khan said the unit, which focused on prevention, early intervention and diversion, was founded on the principle that "we cannot arrest our way out of violence".

Lib Peck, director of London's Violence Reduction Unit, said they supported young people in the capital at points of "crisis or vulnerability".

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics on Thursday showed a 12% decrease in police recorded knife-enabled crime in London in the year ending June 2026, compared to the same period the previous year.

Since 2019, homicide rates among teenagers and young adults have declined in London, but it has not been a steady decrease.

Among 13 to 19-year-olds, homicide fell by 68% from 2019 to 2025. However in 2021, there were 30 teenagers killed, a record number in London.

So far this year, there have been nine teenage homicides, compared to eight in 2025 and 25 in 2019.

Among 13 to 24-year-olds, the homicide rate fell by 61% from 2019 to 2025. Again, that was not a steady decline.

The London figures sit within the wider picture for England and Wales, which have also seen a decline.

Khan said reaching one million people was a "milestone" for the VRU.

"A public health approach to tackling violence and exploitation works," he 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."

He called on the government to demonstrate its commitment to the VRU with multi-year financial backing, rather than annual allocations of about £10m.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said funding decisions for future years had not yet been finalised, adding that the government had "maintained over £66m of investment in Violence Reduction Units and Serious Violence Duty Partnerships this year".

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