Sussex paramedic issues emotional response to knife crime callouts
It comes as a week-long campaign to tackle the issue draws to a close
A paramedic has spoken about the devastating impact knife crime can have on victims and their families, as a week-long campaign to tackle the issue in Sussex comes to an end.
Over the last seven days, officers from Sussex Police have been joining those with other forces around the UK as part of Operation Sceptre.
The campaign has been focusing on key themes such as prevention and education, as well as on taking harmful weapons and other items off the county's streets.
As part of that, Magnus Nelson, a pre-hospital medicine doctor for the South East Coast Ambulance Service, has spoken about the ripple effects of knife crime.
As well as the physical and mental impact on the victim, it has a long-lasting impact on loved ones and the wider community.
"I think the other thing that's really tough for me is going and speaking to their families and trying to explain that their child is in theatre with a surgeon who is trying to stop them bleeding to death. That's a tough thing to do.
"And I think trying to give them the right level of support and information for both the patient and the family to try and get them through those tough, difficult hours, and then to try and give them the support in getting life back to as normal as possible after something like this."
Superintendent Stu Hale said reducing knife crime and knife possession is a 'key priority' for Sussex Police.
"Operation Sceptre is an opportunity to have vital conversations with the public around knife crime. Our message is clear: carrying a knife is dangerous and does not make you safer, it puts you at more risk of coming to harm.
"As part of our week of action we're carrying out educational activities, amnesty and targeted operations to raise awareness among at-risk groups and disrupt crime in action.
"This week intensifies our year-round tactics to address knife crime by engaging with young people in schools, using our knife crime engagement van and our work with partners to ensure people are signposted to help at an early opportunity.
"We also work hard to target disrupt prolific offenders, through teams such as the Special Enforcement Unit, Tactical Enforcement Unit through days of action."
Police have also worked with Border Force through the week to monitor attempts to import weapons and officers have also worked locally with schools and community members offering engagement and prevention advice to young people.
Officers will continue to work closely with retailers and Trading Standards, including retailers that operate online, to ensure weapons are kept off our streets.
Other tactics during the week of action included targeted high visibility and plain-clothes patrols across the county. Activity also included target stop and search against habitual knife carriers and previous offenders and weapon sweeps by police officers.
As always, knife amnesty bins where people can safely dispose of dangerous or unwanted knives and blades at police stations across Sussex, no questions asked.
National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for knife crime, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Graham McNulty, said:
"Coronavirus has been a huge part of everyone’s lives for over a year now but we want to remind people that our normal policing role hasn’t stopped during this time.
"Forces are determined to tackle violent crime and with the restrictions easing, taking knives off our streets and helping people understand the dangers of carrying a knife remains a top priority.
"Our work with Border Force, Trading Standards, the Violence Reduction Units and many other partners means we are able to tackle some of the significant underlying causes of knife related violence.
"Operation Sceptre brings forces together and highlights that we will be united in doing everything possible to stop those intent on causing serious violence."
To tell Sussex Police about knife crime please report online or call 101, or 999 in an emergency.