Probation officers will be given self-defence training, bleed kits and body-worn cameras for the first time under plans before ministers in the wake of two stabbings, the Guardian has learned.
Knife arches and handheld metal-detecting wands, which can be used to search people for weapons, have been approved for pilot schemes in selected offices.
The disclosures come days after a staff member was stabbed in a probation office in Oxford. Separately, a man has admitted the attempted murder in July of a female officer in another probation centre in Preston, Lancashire.
The probation officers’ union, which believes these are the first knife attacks in probation offices, has said members have a “palpable fear” about going to work since the attacks.
About 6,000 probation officers in England and Wales are being asked to supervise more than 240,000 people in the community, including greater numbers of dangerous former prisoners released to ease the prison overcrowding crisis.
An internal review of safety procedures across hundreds of probation offices, conducted in the wake of the Preston attack, has suggested ministers should launch a pilot of Spear training – spontaneous protection enabling accelerated response – for frontline probation staff.
Prison reform campaigners urged the government to ensure that relationships between officers and their clients are not damaged by safety measures.
Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: “Nobody should be going to work scared for their safety and in that sense these measures are welcome. But given the importance of building relationships to good working practice in probation, any such procedures will need to be carefully introduced and monitored.
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Spear, which has been used to train police and prison officers, is described as a “close-quarter protection system” to repel sudden attacks.
Bleed kits, containing items such as tourniquets and trauma bandages, are already being sent to offices. Ministers are also considering setting up a pilot for body-worn cameras, similar to those used by police officers, to record community work sessions.
Knife arches will be rolled out within weeks in the entrances of selected probation offices after ministerial approval. Metal-detecting wands have also been authorised for use.
Probation officers are particularly vulnerable to attack because they aim to set up a constructive working relationship with people, often in confined office spaces. As well as offering guidance, they also have to ensure compliance with conditions of release and address any violations.
The overall number of people under probation supervision on 30 June was 244,209, a 2% increase on the same date last year.
Nearly 40,000 people were released from prison early under the government’s SDS40 scheme in the nine-month period to June 2025, all of whom were required to be supervised by probation officers.
Ministers are releasing some violent prisoners, those convicted of sexual offences and domestic abusers, after serving a third of their sentences, in an effort to reduce pressure on prisons.
Industrial relations are tense because of a lack of a pay offer for probation staff, nearly a year after the unions submitted a pay claim. Unions are making plans to ballot on industrial action if negotiations fail.
Ian Lawrence, the general secretary of the National Association of Probation Officers, said: “It has been clear for some time that the probation service is in crisis with workload pressures that have resulted in more than a hundred thousand days of sick leave absence in 2024 due to mental health issues among staff, disrespectful treatment from the employer and the government over pay, and now a palpable fear among staff about their safety at their workplace.”
Nelson Williams, 27, has been remanded in custody after being charged with attempted murder, affray and possession of a knife in a public place after the incident in Oxford.
Ryan Gee, 35, of no fixed address, has admitted the attempted murder of a female probation officer in her 30s, who was stabbed at work in Preston. Gee also admitted threatening a person with an offensive weapon, possession of a knife in a public place, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and false imprisonment.
After the incident, a petition calling for enhanced security gained more than 15,000 signatures and support from dozens of probation staff.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “This government will do whatever it takes to keep our staff safe, which is why we are rolling out a number of enhanced security measures at probation sites across the country.
“We will not tolerate assaults on our hardworking staff and will always push for the toughest punishments against perpetrators.”
