Staffordshire's police chief committing officers into schools to tackle knife crime
He told us there's still work to do to change the culture around young people carrying knives
Last updated 24th May 2024
Staffordshire's top police chief says he's making sure officers have the time to visit schools and talk knife crime.
It's after Staffordshire Police recovered more than 125 knives after a week of weapon sweeps and stop-and-searches.
Seven people were also arrested.
"Enforcement is pretty fundamental around this. Pro-active policing. Making arrests. Stop and search. Disrupting some of the organised gangs. It's also something we can't just arrest our way out of." said Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police, Chris Noble.
"There's a culture and there's an acceptance primarily among young people that knife crime should be something to get involved in from a defensive point or view, or some sort of bravado.
The Chief Constable told us Staffordshire Police has sufficient ability and capability to send officers into schools and link up with more young people. He also confirmed it is actively happening.
"It's pretty key getting in schools early doors and educating young people about the impact knife crime can have on them as a victim, or as an offender.
"Educating people and understanding what some of the triggers are and understanding some of the underlying causes around knife crime. Gang culture, and even sometimes how things on social media can all of a sudden escalate."
Officers from the local policing teams (LPTs) have already taken part in around 400 educational visits, speaking to young people about the dangers of carrying a knife. In these visits, they also gave advice on the support services available to youngsters who feel pressured to keep one on them.
Staffordshire Police says they've also been using Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok to educate young people, with just under 143,000 reaches across all platforms so far.
Detective Chief Inspector Rob Hessell said: “It is vitally important that we continue to encourage conversations around knife crime within our communities.
“We’re pleased to see a fall in knife crime (three per cent fewer crimes) in the 12 months to December 2023, compared to the national increase; but there is still more work to do.”
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