Police knife bins less likely to be used, according to charity trustee
He thinks the police branding will put people off surrendering their knives.
Last updated 29th Nov 2023
A West Midlands man whose son was stabbed to death and who runs a charity in his name has said young people are less likely to give up knives in police surrender bins.
This comes as the West Midlands police and crime commissioner marked his 25th weapons surrender bin at a meeting of the police and crime board this week.
At the monthly meeting on Tuesday (2 April), Simon Foster announced the new bin is in Willenhall Memorial Park, Walsall, for the anonymous disposal of knives, machetes, and guns which are then destroyed by the police.
He said: “My continued roll out of the bins is just one part of a collective effort to prevent, tackle and reduce violence across the West Midlands.
“I am committed to constant and unremitting action to prevent, tackle and reduce violence, protect people and save lives.”
But Mark Brindley, trustee of the James Brindley Foundation, has revealed police ‘branding’ may deter some young people.
His son, James Brindley, died aged 26 in the early hours of the morning of Saturday June 24 2017, near their family home in Aldridge.
He was stabbed in the heart by 17 year old Ammar Kharod, who was later sentenced to life in prison.
The young victim received open heart surgery by paramedics in the middle of the street before being pronounced dead.
The James Brindley Foundation was started by Mr Brindley, his wife Beverley and their daughter Charlotte and works to strategically eradicate knife crime using ‘social learning’.
The charity develops educational programmes and trains professionals in partner organisations and key agencies, like schools, to deliver them.
One campaign implemented by the foundation was to provide weapons surrender boxes across Walsall when the only one which existed was in the city centre.