Schoolchildren warned of knife crime dangers during week of action

Schoolchildren are being warned about the dangers and devastating consequences of becoming involved with knife crime in Nottinghamshire.

Specialist Schools and Early Intervention Officers (SEIOs) have been visiting secondary schools across the county this week to deliver hard-hitting assemblies and drive home the message to never carry a knife.

They are supporting Sceptre, a national knife crime action week that has seen hundreds of officers from across Nottinghamshire Police take part in a variety of preventative and educational activities, including knife sweeps and providing amnesty bins.

PC Susan Kang, who helped deliver a session at The Bulwell Academy on Tuesday (May 20), said: “It’s really important to engage with impressionable young people as sadly we’re increasingly losing several teenagers to knife crime, whether that is victims or offenders.

“One of the most common answers we receive from young people is that they carry a knife to protect themselves, but what they don’t realise is that they are actually at a greater risk of becoming a victim.”

Hundreds of Year 7 and Year 10 pupils took part in two interactive assemblies which covered a variety of topics including quashing misconceptions about why young people carry knives, how to locate and surrender weapons at knife amnesty bins, and how to access support.

It was also explained about the different types of weapons which are illegal to possess, including zombie knives, knuckledusters, and telescopic truncheons.

The session concluded with a powerful video featuring a young man reflecting on how he was led down the wrong path and convicted of joint enterprise following a fatal stabbing.

Reflecting on what they had learnt during the session, Year 10 pupils Theo and Rafael said: “I think that we’ve learnt even if you don’t do the crime you can still get the same charges as the people that do.

“So you just need to stay away from people that will steer you the wrong way.

“The police visit is reassuring because you know what the boundaries are and what you are and aren’t supposed to do.”

SEIOs work closely with secondary school communities in Nottinghamshire across the year and provide professional support to educational institutions to engage, educate and raise awareness of various topics with young people.

They can also help divert vulnerable young people, where appropriate, away from the criminal justice system through early intervention and restorative justice.

SEIOs are part of the force’s Prevention Hub, which is a collaboration between multiple force departments responsible for developing and delivering strategies to prevent crime and disorder throughout the city and county.

PC Kang, Nottinghamshire Police's SEIO for City North, added: “These sessions have been a real success; the pupils have listened attentively and we’ve had really good engagement and interaction.

“Stopping young people from picking up a weapon in the first place is incredibly important in reducing knife offences and that is why early education and intervention is so crucial to help keep children and communities safe from harm.”

Principal Matt Irons, of The Bulwell Academy, said: “Providing children with the opportunity to engage with the police builds trust.

“It is on a foundation of trust that children feel comfortable with approaching the police about what is actually taking place in their community. Sessions like this are therefore priceless!”