‘Knife crime is top priority’ says police commissioner
Northumbria Police chief Kim McGuinness says stopping young people carrying knives is her top crime prevention priority.
Police and Crime Commissioner Ms McGuinness says she aims to achieve that goal by building on a series of measures that are already in operation in the Northumbria force area.
She says her Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit, Northumbria Police and organisations like the Connor BrownTrustarealreadyworking hard to deliver life-changingeducationwork–butmore needs to be done.
Eighteen-year-old Connor Brown, from Sunderland, had been on a night out with friends when he was stabbed after trying to defuse an altercation in February 2019.
MsMcGuinnesssaid:“Every time we lose a young life to violence we are reminded of just how important the prevention work we are doing is.
"My Violence Reduction Unit is tasked with bringing everyone together and saying we will not accept violence in our region and this is how we are going to fight it.”
She added: “Nothing I can say will bring back the lives tragically lost in recent months but I can say there is a lot of work happening and we desperatelywanttobescaling it up and reaching more and more impressionable young kids.
"It’s not just about officers on the streets and catching those carrying knives. I want to reach kids before that. I
want to get in there before a weapon reaches their hands.”
Oneofthenewmeasuresis a police team clamping down on known offenders.
Theteamworkswithidentified individuals known for beinginvolvedinviolence–engagingthemwiththementors, and programmes that are being offered or facing what she describes as “significant consequences.”
Ms McGuinness says she acknowledgesthattheissueof young people carrying knives is getting worse.
She said: “It feels like thingshavegotworseoverthe last decade or so.
"That’s everywhere – up and down the country – and we are clearly not immune to it in the North East.
"That’s why we need to throw everything we have at this – more of the mentoring, the youth diversion schemes, the early interventions. And everyone: parents, teachers, friends we all need to be the having conversations, raising awareness, creating positive opportunities.”