Ealing has seen a rise in knife crime incidents, according to a recent police report presented to the Ealing Safer Neighbourhood Board. The report, delivered by Superintendent Sean Lynch and Inspector Sam Pearce of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), indicated a concerning increase in reported incidents over the past four weeks, with the number reaching 50.

The rise in knife crime comes amidst a mixed bag of crime statistics in the area. While calls for service have decreased by 20% to 857, and neighbourhood crimes like shoplifting, robbery, hate crime, and burglary have also seen a reduction, violence against women and girls and violence with injury have slightly increased alongside the knife crime surge.

The MPS is taking several steps to address crime in Ealing, including:

  • Increasing operations in town centres with the High Street Taskforce to reduce crimes like shoplifting, including visits to premises selling knives to under-18s.
  • Continuing knife arches in schools, with one planned for the Greenford area.
  • Increasing operations addressing smartphone theft in the town centre.
  • Continuing town centre work on Violence Against Women and Girls through uniformed and plain clothes patrols.
  • Deploying more officers to schools to prevent youth crime.
  • Intensifying efforts against organised criminal gangs using county lines to distribute drugs into Ealing.

The police are also working with Jess Murray, Assistant Director of Community Protection, Community Safety Team, to address problematic premises. Four premises that had been generating anti-social behaviour (ASB) had been given closure orders, with five more in progress. These closure orders are issued for premises generating anti-social behaviour (ASB), particularly in Northolt and Acton, due to issues related to drugs and other concerns.

The Ealing Safer Neighbourhood Board is also focusing on preventative measures. John Martin, the Vice-chair, provided an update on project funding, with several initiatives aimed at community safety and empowerment. These include women's self-defence courses, youth empowerment programs, and support for survivors groups. The board is considering using surplus funds from previous years to address a shortfall of £6,213 in project funding. This increases to £11,213 when including a sixth project that is running behind schedule. The Public Reports Pack contains further information.

The next meeting of the Ealing Safer Neighbourhood Board is scheduled for 14 October 2025, according to the Agenda.