Owen Dunn's family backs new 'Check Your Children' campaign
The campaign is to encourage parents to talk openly to their kids about carrying weapons
The family of a teenager who died after being stabbed in Swindon is backing a new campaign to encourage parents to talk openly to their kids about carrying weapons.
The campaign, called 'Check Your Children', is being run and backed with the Police & Crime Commissioner's office and features relatives of Owen Dunn who was fatally injured in December 2022.
Owen was carrying a knife at the time of the stabbing, and now his family are asking parents and guardians to look out for any signs that their children may be involved in knife or gang crime.
The OPCC says this campaign also addresses how criminal gangs are going beyond using traditional methods of incentivising children and young people, such as buying them the latest technology and clothes, and are using virtual rewards to entice them.
Zoe Mitchell, Owen’s mum, wasn’t aware Owen was in possession of a knife at the time of his death until she was told by the police.
She has this message for parents who were in the same situation as her, who thought their child would never carry a weapon: “I used to say that, I used say exactly the same thing.
“You’ve got to think, it could just possibly be my kid.
“It doesn’t hurt just to check them.”
The OPCC's Serious Violence Duty Co-ordinator for Wiltshire and Swindon, Natasha Gell, said: “There might be a concern around asking those questions as you’re not quite sure where it might lead and what do you do when you get those answers, because nobody wants to report their child to the police.
“There might be a concern around asking those questions as you’re not quite sure where it might lead and what do you do when you get those answers, because nobody wants to report their child to the police.
“It’s important for members of the public to remember that the police are really engaged with recognising that many children and young people are being criminally exploited into criminal activity."
We're told criminal gangs are using virtual rewards for people to try and work with them, with parents and carers often being unaware of their existence.
The OPCC have shared a number of signs which may indicate a person is involved in activity related to County Lines incidents, which include:
- Them being disengaged from their usual friendship groups
- Them having new, older, or unknown friends
- Having a new or multiple phones
- Having new clothes or money where they can't explain where it has come from
- Spending more time than usual online or taking calls
- Them becoming secretive
The OPCC also say it's 'important to recognise' most young people in Wiltshire and Swindon aren’t involved in gangs and don’t carry weapons.
Natasha Gell said: “We are aware from a survey that was conducted locally, that a lot of people, even children and young people themselves, believe that more of their peers are carrying a knife than are actually carrying.
“The survey showed that around 3% of children and young people would be carrying a knife. Most of them would let us know, colloquially, that the reasons anybody would be carrying a knife would be for self-protection.
“And the same survey highlighted children and young felt that around 19% of their peers might be carrying a knife.
“This misconception is really dangerous, because we are concerned that some of that 3% might be carrying a knife because they believe that lots of other people are too.”
Owen’s World want to reach out to parents and guardians who have concerns about young people in their family and make sure they know about the support available to them.
Trish Aldred is Owen’s grandma, and she said: “You’ve really got to question what they’re doing, because otherwise, you could end up the way we’ve ended up, losing our Owen.
“And we’ll never get over losing him.”
Owen's mum added: “Some days I don’t even want to get out of bed, but this gives me something to focus on.
“If I can make one kid think twice about taking a knife out, then my job’s done."
Information on how to report a crime anonymously and about organisations who provide support for parents and carers can be found via Crimestoppers, the NSPCC, or via the Owens World Foundation.
Read more: Owen Dunn: Teenagers given indefinite sentences for murder