Black Onyx Academy Calls For National Shift From Reaction To Readiness Regarding Knife Crime

UK businesses, schools and public spaces are not prepared for knife crime, warns veteran-led prevention academy

Black Onyx Academy has called for a national shift from reaction to readiness, as new Home Office data shows knife offences remain stubbornly high a decade on.

Office for National Statistics figures show 48,774 police-recorded offences involving knives or sharp instruments across England and Wales in the year to March 2026. And knife-enabled offences are up 49% over ten years, according to the Ben Kinsella Trust’s analysis of ONS data.

Black Onyx Academy, the veteran-led knife crime prevention and training organisation behind the accredited S.A.L.T. (Save.A.Life.Today) course, argues the national conversation has focused almost entirely on policing and young people, leaving a critical gap unaddressed: is British business actually prepared?

‘The numbers may be moving in different directions depending on how you read them, but one thing hasn’t changed: prevention is still urgent and most employers, schools and public-facing organisations have no idea what to do if violence escalates on their premises,’ said Stefan Northfield, Strategic Lead, Black Onyx Academy.

‘Prevention isn’t just about stopping someone from carrying a knife. It’s about recognising risk earlier, knowing how to de-escalate a situation, understanding how to respond when an incident occurs, and having the practical skills and equipment in place to save a life if the worst happens.

‘We cannot assume that serious violence will always happen somewhere else. Organisations have a responsibility to prepare their people, protect their communities and give them the confidence to act when every second counts.’

Retailers, transport operators, hospitality venues and offices are increasingly the backdrop for incidents that make headlines, yet, unlike the education and policing sectors, there is no established national voice speaking to business preparedness. Black Onyx Academy is stepping into that gap, posing the questions it believes every employer should now be asking:

• Are shopping centres, retail units and offices equipped to respond if violence escalates?

• Should every workplace carry catastrophic bleed control kits?

• How many employers have any staff trained in conflict de-escalation or emergency response?

Founded on former military experience in conflict de-escalation, risk assessment and emergency response, Black Onyx Academy has built its training around principles used to keep people safe in the highest-pressure environments – translated into a practical, accredited course for schools, businesses, transport operators and community organisations.

The Mobile Knife Amnesty Van

Black Onyx Academy recently launched the UK’s first veteran-led Mobile Knife Amnesty Van, touring communities to safely collect surrendered weapons while opening direct conversations with the public.

Schools and safeguarding

Beyond the workplace, Black Onyx Academy is also raising questions for the education sector – should every school have staff trained in conflict management and catastrophic bleed response, in the same way they are trained in fire safety or first aid?