£50m UKRI Safer Streets Programme Targets Knife Crime, VAWG, and Public Trust with AI and Community-Led Innovation
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has launched a £50 million Safer Streets research and innovation programme as part of the government’s wider £500 million R&D Missions Accelerator Programme. The initiative supports the Safer Streets Mission, which aims to halve knife crime and violence against women and girls (VAWG) within a decade while rebuilding trust in policing and the justice system.
The programme introduces five targeted challenges: developing an AI-powered national crime map to identify hyperlocal crime patterns; tackling VAWG through prevention, safer environments, and improved victim support; strengthening trust in policing באמצעות new real-time public confidence tools; improving justice system security, including anti-drone technology in prisons; and advancing methods to detect and manage knife-carrying behaviour.
Projects will bring together researchers, police, businesses, and communities, with a strong emphasis on lived experience and local insight. Pilot interventions aim to reduce targeted crimes by up to 30% and VAWG by 20%, while improving victim engagement in the justice process.
The programme seeks scalable, evidence-based solutions that combine technology, data, and community partnership to deliver safer streets, stronger institutions, and long-term reductions in crime.
Key Points for Policymakers:
- Significant investment (£50m) aligned with a £500m national R&D strategy
- AI-driven crime mapping to enable hyperlocal, targeted interventions
- Measurable outcome targets (e.g., 30% crime reduction in pilots)
- Strong emphasis on community co-design and lived experience
- Focus on rebuilding public trust in policing and justice systems
- Integration of technology (AI, detection systems) with social interventions
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