Northamptonshire Police and local community safety groups have launched a February 2026 campaign that highlights the emotional harm caused by knife crime across the county. The initiative shifts emphasis from purely legal consequences to the lived experience and lasting impact on families and friends.
A central part of the campaign is a feature-length documentary, Losing Our Children (The War on Knife Crime), which is scheduled to premiere at the Odeon in Sixfields on 23 February 2026. Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone has praised the campaign’s use of lived experience to reach young people, saying: “The power of this campaign is that it was shaped by young people for young people – it speaks to the devastating consequences of carrying a knife in a way that is meaningful to them.” (Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner office)
The force is working with community partner Off the Streets NN to create safe options for residents to remove weapons from circulation. Off the Streets NN has helped place amnesty bins across the county (13 bins reported in local sources) and has distributed bleed-control kits for use at scenes of serious bleeding; published counts vary by source, but the group has publicly reported more than 30 bleed kits in place and has expanded provision over time.
Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet is leading the force’s move toward prevention through stronger community partnerships and youth-focused interventions. Residents are being encouraged to report concerns and receive updates via the county’s community messaging service, Northamptonshire Talking, as part of the wider drive to reduce youth violence ahead of the spring months.
Notes: Documentary premiere and campaign details were reported by the Northampton Chronicle & Echo. PFCC statements and campaign context are available from the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s website and NSVPP materials. Numbers for amnesty bins and bleed kits have been reported at different levels in local and national coverage; the phrasing above uses conservative, verified counts and clarifies that figures vary by source.
