Data First for Safer Streets

MoJ on the Safer Streets mission - how linked justice, education + social care data reveals patterns behind knife crime + serious violence

Data First for Safer Streets

Ministry of Justice (MoJ)

Confidence in policing has declined in recent years. Community policing has been diminished, with neighbourhood officers pulled off the beat to plug shortages elsewhere, weakening connections with communities they serve.

Since 2010, the proportion of people who see a police foot patrol more than once per week has more than halved, and the number of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) has halved.

https://www.gov.uk/missions/safer-streets

Serious violence does not happen in isolation – understanding the pathways that lead to harm is critical for effective prevention and policy action.

In this session, colleagues from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) present new analysis drawing on data made available through the MoJ Data First programme. By linking record‑level offence data from the Police National Computer with education and social care records from the National Pupil Database, the team explores the backgrounds of children and young people cautioned or sentenced for knife crime, town centre crime, and violence.

The session demonstrates how linked administrative data can provide deeper insight into patterns across education, social care and youth offending. These findings directly support the Government’s Safer Streets Mission, helping to inform evidence‑based decision making on prevention and early intervention.

About the presenters

This session is delivered by analysts from the Ministry of Justice, drawing on expertise from the Government Social Research (GSR) and Government Statistical Service (GSS) and working closely with the MoJ Data First programme.

Who should attend?

This session is ideal for:

• Analysts working on issues around crime, justice or social policy
• Colleagues interested in linked administrative data
• Policy professionals focused on violence prevention
• Anyone using evidence to support safer communities

What you could learn in this session

• How linked justice, education and social care data can be used safely and effectively
• What administrative data reveals about pathways into serious violence
• Lessons learned from balancing clarity, complexity and impact
• How analysis can support prevention and early intervention
• How evidence underpins the Safer Streets mission
• Lessons from cross‑departmental data linkage

Secure your space today!

About AiG Month (1-31 May 2026)

• Analysis in Government Month (AiG Month) is the UK's largest learning and development event for government analysts
• The Analysis Function has around 17,000 members working across analysis professions and government departments
• This event is part of Analysis in Government (AiG) Month, brought to you by the Analysis Function
• Every government analyst is considered to be a member of the Analysis Function. Our members include actuaries, digital and data analysts, data scientists, economists, geographers, operational researchers, social researchers, stastisticians, dual badged, and unaffiliated analysts
• Find out more about AiG Month 2026 on our AiG Month Hub
• Sign up for the monthly AF Newsletter
• Join us on new AF Basecamp
• Follow us here on Eventbrite to be the first to find out about other events as they go live
• Follow us on LinkedIn and X @gov_analysis