Bailey’s memory inspiring battle against knife culture
POLICE tackling knife crime in city schools are using the murder of Aberdeen schoolboy Bailey Gwynne to turn pupils away from blades.
If it is successful, a pilot project in Cleveden Secondary School could be rolled out to others across Glasgow and then Scotland.
Community officers spoke to first year pupils at the West End school, telling them about the stabbing of teenager Bailey.
The scheme is the brainchild of PC Jasarat Ahmad, who said officers – and pupils – “must not be complacent”.
He said: “I am hoping that this session will waken them up a bit.
“Kids are exposed to violence in video games and they need an awakening as to how serious things can become if a weapon is brought into the classroom.
“I would hope this plants a seed in their minds and that they take on board the fact they should always tell a teacher or police if they see a classmate with a knife.”
He added: “I don’t think there is a problem with knives in Glasgow’s schools but we must not become complacent either, just because crime figures are falling year on year.”
Figures from Glasgow City Council show the number of pupils excluded for incidents involving weapons or improvised weapons are steadily falling.
In 2013 a total of 47 secondary school pupils were excluded for weapon related incidents. The following year, 2014, saw 45 pupils barred from school and in 2015 this number had decreased to 35.
Latest figures from 2016 show 30 pupils were excluded for weapon incidents from a current city-wide school roll of 25,025 pupils.
The Evening Times joined PC Ahmad and his colleagues at Cleveden for the interactive session with pupils.
Youngsters were taught myths and facts about knives before learning about the physical impacts of stabbing someone and watching a hard-hitting film based on a real incident.
Finally, they told the first year class about 16-year-old Bailey, who was stabbed at Cults Academy in 2015 during a fight with a school friend over a biscuit.
An inquiry found Bailey’s death would have been preventable had classmates told a teacher the boy found guilty of the culpable homicide was bringing weapons into school.