The Police must stop attempting to "appease" campaign groups and increase their use of stop and search powers to tackle knife crime.
Policing Minister Chris Philp has argued the practice is a "vital tool" in reducing the number of knives on the street.
But he said it is "not used nearly often enough by police".
In 2014, the then Home Secretary Theresa May curbed stop and search powers amid claims the practice was discriminatory, with black people being disproportionately targeterd by police.
The Police must stop attempting to "appease" campaign groups and increase their use of stop and search powers to tackle knife crime
PA
Philp said the Government is investing in knife scanning technology, that would enable officers at a distance to scan people as they walk down the street to see if they are carrying a knife, as well as live facial recognition technology to identify people wanted for violent offences.
The Policing Minister told GB News the technology would "have an enormous impact on public safety".
This resulted in the number of people being stopped and searched falling dramatically.
In 2010-11, 1.2 million stop and search instances occurred. But in 2017-18, 279,728 occurred.
Writing in the Telegraph, Philp said: "The police must use the powers available to them without fear or favour.
"I want to see them take a robust approach and this starts with increasing the use of stop and search.
"In today’s climate police stop and search is the best foot forward, we know this.
Policing Minister Chris Philp has argued the practice is a "vital tool" in reducing the number of knives on the street
GB NEWS
"What we can’t do is tiptoe around using these powers in an aim to appease.
"The first priority must always be prevention and public safety."
The UK has seen an increase in knife crime this year, rising to nealy 50,000 offences - an increase of 7.2 per cent.
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Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has opposed the use of stop and search as a result of discrimination concerns, pledging to "do all in my power to further cut its use".
He argued the overuse of the power would undermine public confidence in the police.
