Notice

Competition: Tackling Knife Crime in the UK

Published 30 October 2018

1. Introduction

This Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) forthcoming competition is seeking proposals for innovative technologies and approaches that help reduce knife crime in the UK through the identification of people carrying steel-bladed knives.
It is anticipated that an initial £500k will be available to fund multiple proof of concept proposals at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 2 and above. Additional funding may be available for further phases to develop the technology to a higher TRL depending on the outputs from Phase 1.

We welcome proposals from sole suppliers, including from academic and industrial partners, as well as colloborative bids.

2. Background

Although crime in general has fallen rapidly in the UK over the past 20 years, some types of violent crime recorded by the Police have increased. In 2017, knife crime rose by 20% across England and Wales when compared to 2015 figures, with a significant increase in fatal stabbings and serious injuries. Whilst this increase in knife crime is a complex problem with many influencing factors, the ability of the Police to determine if knives are being carried by people is one fundamental aspect to potentially reducing incidents. This is particularly challenging when knives are concealed and carried in public. The use of current detection systems is limited. UK Police Forces have implemented strategies to tackle the issue and the application of science and technology and other approaches must play an important role in tackling this threat. In April 2018, the Government launched the Serious Violence Strategy, which aims to tackle knife crime and other forms of serious violence.

3. Competition Scope

The Home Office is interested in solutions that can identify people carrying, overtly or covertly, a wide variety of steel-bladed knives in public open spaces, including in crowds and uncontrolled areas (where there is typically limited or no Police or security presence). There is a requirement to detect these knives:

• on the person, typically in the presence of other commonly carried benign metallic items (for example, keys, phones, coins, belts/buckles, watches, jewellery)
• carried in bags (for example, handbags, rucksacks) which may also contain a variety of other benign metallic and non metallic items.

For the purpose of this competiton the focus will be on steel-bladed knives with a blade length greater than 7.62cm. This includes household kitchen knives and other knives designed specifically to cause serious harm or death.

We are only interested in steel-bladed knives, however research that also encompasses non metallic blades in addition to steel-bladed knives such as polymeric or ceramic will not be discounted. We are interested in different approaches to address this challenge from specific detection technologies, through to advances in behavioural sciences.

Solutions that can contribute to the detection of steel-bladed knives being carried by individuals or groups will support the Police and other security personnel in their decision making process to ensure the appropriate operational response with the aim of ultimately reducing the number of casualties across the UK.

4. Competition Challenges

There are four priority challenges identified for investment. These should not be viewed as rigid themes and they are not mutually exclusive. Your proposed solution must address at least one of these challenges, but we welcome solutions that address more than one.

4.1 Challenge 1: Screening people at pre-existing pinch-points

This challenge is focused on using pre-existing pinch-points such as ticket barriers, escalators and doorways to provide opportunities to screen people as they pass through. The solution should be:

• safe for the people being screened and those operating the system
• rapid, and should not delay the person being screened
• unobstrusive and potentially covert
• easy to operate

4.2 Challenge 2: Screening freely moving people

This challenge is focused on screening people in busy areas where their movement is essentially unconstrained. This may range from situations where people mainly move in one or two directions (for example, on a street, or the approach to a major venue/event) through to situations where people move in a myriad different directions (for example, a major railway station concourse). The solution should be:

• safe for the person being screened and those operating the system
• unobstrusive and potentially covert
• deployable indoors and outdoors under all ambient UK conditions
• easy to operate

4.3 Challenge 3: Screening of peoples behaviours in crowds

This challenge is focused on potential behavioural indicators of people in crowds in possession of a knife and / or with the intent to use a knife. The solution should:

• have a high degree of confidence in any positive/negative result obtained or provide the operator with an understanding of the confidence limitations
• identify ways confidence could be improved through later phases

4.4 Challenge 4: Training

This challenge is focused on how knowledge of carriage / concealment of knives and/or behavioural indicators of carriage/concealment of knives can be translated into training for Police officers and/or security personnel. The solution should:

• show how datasets can be captured and analysed
• show how patterns of behaviour indicate concealment or intent to use concealed weapons
• provide information on expected false positives and identification of alternative indicators that can be used to reinforce decision making and risk assessment

5. Further information

A full competition document with details of how to apply will be published on the DASA web site when the competition launches.

For further information about the submission process is available here