Probation officers across England and Wales are set to receive self-defence training, body-worn cameras, and bleed kits for the first time, following two serious stabbing attacks in probation offices. The Guardian can exclusively reveal that ministerial approval has been granted for a series of pilot schemes aimed at enhancing staff safety.
New Security Measures Following Attacks
The urgent new safety protocols come in the wake of two separate knife attacks on probation service staff. In one incident, a staff member was stabbed in an office in Oxford. In a separate case in Preston, Lancashire, a man has admitted to the attempted murder of a female probation officer in her thirties. The probation officers' union believes these are the first such knife attacks to occur within probation offices.
As part of the response, knife arches (metal-detecting portals) will be installed within weeks at the entrances of selected probation offices. Additionally, handheld metal-detecting wands have been authorised for use to search individuals for weapons. These measures are part of a pilot scheme to test their effectiveness in a probation setting.
Spear Training and Protective Equipment
An internal safety review, conducted after the Preston attack, has recommended that frontline probation staff undertake Spear training. This system, which stands for Spontaneous Protection Enabling Accelerated Response, is a close-quarter protection programme already used to train police and prison officers. It is designed to help repel sudden, violent assaults.
Furthermore, bleed kits containing trauma bandages and tourniquets are already being distributed to offices. Ministers are also considering a pilot scheme for body-worn cameras, similar to those used by police, to record community supervision sessions. This would provide a record of interactions and potentially deter aggression.
A Service Under Immense Pressure
The push for improved safety comes as the probation service faces unprecedented workload pressures. Approximately 6,000 probation officers are currently supervising more than 240,000 people in the community. This figure increased by 2% in the year to 30 June.
The caseload has been exacerbated by government schemes to ease severe prison overcrowding. Notably, nearly 40,000 prisoners were released early under the SDS40 scheme in the nine months to June 2025, all requiring probation supervision. This cohort includes some violent offenders, those convicted of sexual offences, and domestic abusers, released after serving just a third of their sentences.
Ian Lawrence, general secretary of the National Association of Probation Officers, stated: "It has been clear for some time that the probation service is in crisis... and now a palpable fear among staff about their safety at their workplace." The union reports over a hundred thousand days of sick leave in 2024 due to staff mental health issues.
Industrial relations are also strained, with unions preparing to ballot for industrial action over a lack of a pay offer nearly a year after their claim was submitted.
Following the Oxford incident, 27-year-old Nelson Williams was remanded in custody charged with attempted murder, affray, and possession of a knife. In the Preston case, 35-year-old Ryan Gee, of no fixed address, has pleaded guilty to attempted murder and several other offences including false imprisonment and possession of an imitation firearm.
A petition calling for enhanced security in probation offices gained over 15,000 signatures and support from dozens of staff after the attacks. The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment on the new safety pilots.
