Gloucester community takes a stand against knife crime
A knife surrender event was held in Gloucester Park last night
Last updated 22nd Dec 2021
Members of the community in Gloucester have come together to take a stand against knife crime.
An event was held by Gloucestershire Police in Gloucester Park last night.
Two knife surrender bins were located in the park to give people the opportunity to hand in knives and weapons.
The force hopes it will take them off the streets and save lives.
Following the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Ramarni Crosby in the city last week, a Facebook group was created called "Put down the knives Gloucester".
Jasper Taitt-Williams, one of the founders of the group, said: "Knife crime has risen by 64% in Gloucestershire in the last decade.
"It's rising and rising and we want to kill that ultimately.
"I'll do whatever I can to keep the streets safe"
"I've had parents calling and messaging me saying their kids don't feel safe enough to go out onto the streets or go to the park and it's really upsetting for everybody".
Flowers and candles were put down next to the bins to pay tribute to Ramarni, known and Marni to his friends and family.
"I believe the majority of the youth don't trust the police so they want someone to rely on, they need someone to rely on so that's where the community jump in", continues Jasper.
"We want people to believe in us and trust in us and our processes seem to be working out so far".
Jasper and other leaders of the group have been voluntarily collecting weapons and knives from concerned parents themselves and handing them into the police over recent days.
Jasper added: "I've had someone call me up whilst I was at work saying they've got some weapons to collect.
"So Ive left at lunch time, collected them, taken them to the police station and then back to work within the hour.
"I'll honestly do whatever I can to keep the streets safe."
There's been an overhwleming show of support in the group, from people offering wellbeing and sports sessions to others offering community spaces for youths to go to socialise.
"The main goal of this group is to get every youth within Gloucester and hopefully elsewhere to find something else to do in life", says Jasper.
"We want to encourage them to branch out, whether that be in music, rugby, football, there's just more to life than carrying knives, getting arrested or even carrying out stabbings themselves."
Three teenagers, aged 15, 16 and 17 have been jointly charged with murder of Ramarni. They cannot be named for legal reasons.
They will appear at Bristol Crown Court for a pre-trial hearing on January 24.