Knife crime session educates more young people in Rushcliffe
Last updated: 27/2/2023
Police and council teams worked together to organise and support a special event raising awareness of knife crime among young people.
More than 40 students from four secondary schools across Rushcliffe attended the event at the Rushcliffe Arena leisure centre in West Bridgford.
The event, a joint initiative between Nottinghamshire Police and Rushcliffe Borough Council, included guest speakers who gave personal and emotional accounts of how violence and knife crime have impacted their lives.
There was also an engagement session with police officers who explained some of the consequences of carrying a knife.
Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment and Safety Cllr Rob Inglis said: “Initiatives such as these are crucial to young people and it starts with education to raise awareness about this crime which is sadly prevalent in some communities across Nottinghamshire.
“The young people saw the impact that knife crime has not just on the victim and perpetrator but on families and the whole community.
“We delivered this thought-provoking session with Nottinghamshire Police, Equation and partners which was positively received by the students and teaching staff who attended.
“We work continuously with all parties on this topic throughout the year to help keep our residents and young people safer.”
Police Constable Karen Crane, Nottinghamshire Police’s Schools Early Intervention Officer for Rushcliffe area, thanked Bingham’s Toot Hill School, West Bridgford School, East Leake Academy and South Wolds Academy in Keyworth for supporting the event.
She said: “This event was ultimately about saving lives and educating young people so they avoid making potentially life-altering mistakes in the future.
“These students are at secondary school with all the peer pressure that brings so we are working to equip them with the knowledge they need to keep safe.
“Even if events like this result in just one young person deciding not to venture out with a knife, they have been worthwhile – because that is one young person who isn’t either going to get hurt with a knife or hurt somebody else with one.”
The students, in years nine and ten, got more involved in an interactive afternoon session which saw them exploring how anger develops within us and the effects it has on our body, state of mind and our behaviour.
Students gave extremely positive feedback about all they had learned on the day.
The event followed a national week of action in November when Nottinghamshire Police shone a light on the ongoing efforts to reduce knife crime in our communities.
The force highlighted some of the proactive policing that takes place all year-round to tackle knife crime as part of Operation Sceptre.
Sergeant Sarah Merrall, from the Rushcliffe North Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This was really important event in our ongoing work to engage and educate young people about knife crime to coincide with the national week of action during Operation Sceptre.
“I would like to thank all the schools for supporting the event and look forward to working with them in the future.”