County-wide crackdown on knife crime continues

The renowned #DitchTheBlade initiative was rolled out across Staffordshire in a concerted effort to take dangerous weapons off the streets.

Among the success stories were more than a dozen sweeps of hotspots which recovered three weapons and took them off the streets; three knife bins saw 200 weapons surrendered; 129 stop and searches led to 30 arrests – four of those arrested were so for possession of knives; and after eight further targeted arrests four more knives were recovered.

Meanwhile, 45 community education events and 55 school engagement events took place.

As well as working with regular partner organisations such as Staffordshire University, local authorities across the county, agencies such as Ruff and Ruby and other ongoing partnership education work, the campaign also received the backing of former gang member Mark Bracewell.

He has turned his life around and now tells youngsters of his experiences with knife crime and gang culture to try and stop them taking the same path he did.

Mark Hardern, youth violence coordinator for Staffordshire Police, said: “Educating those in schools, colleges and universities is just one of a raft of things we and partners do to spread the anti-knife crime message. We don’t just target the young and we speak to all walks of society.

“Policing-wise a number of people were visited with partners and where evidence allowed, people were stop and searched in hot spot locations.

“We targeted specific hotspot locations along with educational leaders and partner agencies in a bid to continue to keep reducing the use of knives across the force area, which requires the multi-agency response.

“The police will always get asked what we are doing about knife crime which, clearly, we are part of the solution for. However, by some of the great work taking place with different partners it all helps in the multi-agency messaging to tackle the issue.”

Anyone who has any concerns around a young person becoming involved in knife crime or carrying a knife can report their concerns Staffordshire Police's website or by calling 101.