The Crime Agents Who’s winning the war on gang violence?
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Feb 25, 2026 Sammy Odoi, a grassroots youth worker who builds trust with at-risk teens. Lib Peck, director of London’s Violence Reduction Unit who leads prevention-focused citywide programs. They discuss why children are getting pulled into knife crime. They explain hospital interventions, outreach at night, restorative approaches, and how prevention-first units have driven falling youth homicides.
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Teenager Says Carrying Knives Felt Normal
- A West Midlands teenager described starting to carry a knife at about 11 because it was 'what you do' in his area.
- He lost three close friends to stabbings and shootings and said "it's not normal, but like it's normal," showing trauma normalized among youths.
VRUs Reframe Violence As A Public Health Issue
- Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) treat violence as a public health problem addressing root causes like poverty, trauma and school exclusion.
- London VRU formed in 2019 and London saw young homicides fall to roughly one-third of 2019 levels and a halving of hospital admissions for youth knife injury.
Use Hospital Moments To Intervene With Youth
- Use teachable reachable moments like hospital bedsides and custody suites to intervene when a young person is vulnerable.
- Placing youth workers in A&E after stabbings lets them connect when the gang isn't present and steer young people toward support.