Pastor Lorraine Jones, a mother whose son was tragically killed while trying to protect a friend, has declared she feels a powerful 'wind of change' in the battle against knife crime in the UK.
A Mother's Campaign for Change
Her 20-year-old son, Dwayne Simpson, was murdered in Brixton, South London, in 2014. Since that day, Pastor Jones has campaigned tirelessly to prevent other families from enduring the same heartbreak. She spoke of her optimism during a visit to the Dwaynamics boxing gym, a safe space for young people established in her son's memory.
"We're feeling the wind of change, and we're positive knife crime will come down," she stated. "Tangible things are being done. The actions speak louder than words. And that's why it is possible, and we believe that it will happen."
Government Action and Falling Crime Figures
Pastor Jones's renewed hope coincides with the latest official crime statistics. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal a 5% drop in knife-related crime in the year to June. The number of offences fell from 54,215 to 51,527. Even more significantly, there was an 18% drop in knife homicides during the same period.
She attributes this progress to a change in government focus, recalling a meeting with Sir Keir Starmer before he became Prime Minister. "He shared his passion to want to reduce knife crime," she said. "He said to me 'Pastor Lorraine if I'm in power I will make sure this is higher up the agenda'. He is a man of integrity."
Community Projects at the Heart of the Solution
On Wednesday, Pastor Jones met with Policing Minister Sarah Jones at the Dwaynamics gym. She emphasised the critical role such community projects play in providing alternatives and safe spaces for young people. Her son Dwayne died after intervening to protect a boy he had been training at the very boxing gym he helped start.
"He died a peacekeeper," she said. "It's been a terrible nightmare. I know the pain, the trauma, and I can honestly say that since we've had this change of Government, the tide has turned. The evidence is there."
Policing Minister Sarah Jones echoed the cautious optimism, stating: "We're absolutely moving in the right direction. Of course, every murder, every stabbing, is one too many, but we are determined to crack down on knife crime." She pointed to targeted hotspot policing, more officers on the streets, and tougher laws on knife sales as key factors in the decline.
However, the Minister was clear that the fight is far from over, acknowledging the government's ambitious pledge to halve knife crime within a decade. "I'm not under any illusions that we've got a very long way to go," she added. "The numbers are too high."
