Dudley teenagers launch new campaign against knife crime
Two Dudley teenagers have launched their own campaign to tackle knife crime in their community.
Emerson Hanslip and Georgia White will be organising Sharpen Minds Not Knives workshops in schools and colleges across the borough.
They will use the workshops to educate their peers on a range of issues including the dangers of knife crime, county lines drug dealing and stop and search.
Their work comes amid an 85 per cent rise in knife crime since 2012 – with many of the incidents involving young people.
The workshops, which include talks from the two 17-year-old students, also see pupils hear from someone who has an experience on the subject and a police officer. The sessions are now going to be happening in schools and colleges across Dudley.
Emerson and Georgia, who are the two elected Youth Commissioners for Dudley, are both sixth form students who have decided to put on these sessions in their spare time, following a number of incidents in Dudley and the wider West Midlands involving knives.
Emerson, who attends Dudley Sixth Form, said: "As young people, it is absolutely vital that we tackle knife crime head on. In the last 12 months we have seen a number of young people fall victim to knife crime. We want to play our part to educate other young people on the risks of carrying a knife.
"With this campaign we wanted to involve those who have experienced the effects of knife crime and those who deal with the aftermath
"The pilot workshops were hard hitting and we received excellent feedback. Now we are going to continue the campaign in schools across Dudley to educate other young people on the dangers and effects of carrying a knife."
Georgia, from King Edward VI College, said: "Knife crime takes its toll on all of us. Seeing coverage of knife attacks makes us feel even more vulnerable being in an environment where danger lurks at every corner.
"We need to take on the issue, not just with information from the police, but also the knowledge of people and victims who have real, lived experience of knife crime."
David Jamieson, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, said: ""Emerson and Georgia are doing outstanding work in their community which I am only too happy to support. As young people themselves, they are well placed to connect with other young people.
"They have taken the initiative to start this campaign focussing on the issues which are affecting young people at the moment and I am certain that when this is rolled out further, they will continue to be a success."
Chief Superintendent Sally Bourner, commander for Dudley, added: "Emerson and Georgia's leadership reflects the absolute imperative to involve and listen to young people as we focus on tackling and preventing knife crime.
"Their work supports the wider public health-based approach we are developing with partners across Dudley Borough to prevent serious violence ensuring our borough is a place of healthy, resilient, safe communities with high aspirations and the ability to shape their own future."
