A BATTLE to remove knives from Barnsley’s communities following a rise in crime involving blades was met head-on by the town’s police teams this week.
As well as conducting policing operations such as warrants, knife seizures and test purchases, officers have increased community engagement, the delivery of educational materials on the dangers of carrying knives and information on the impact that knife crime has on victims, perpetrators, families and communities as part of Operation Sceptre.
Detective Superintendent David Cowley, who is the force lead for knife crime, said: “Throughout the year our officers work hard to keep our local communities safe from knife crime, so this week is business as usual for us.
“We use Sceptre as a chance to highlight this work, as well as providing dedicated weeks to raise awareness of the deadly consequences of carrying knives.
“We all have a role to play in changing the perceptions around carrying knives.
“Despite what some may think, we know that carrying a knife makes you more vulnerable, placing you in dangerous situations, and putting you and others at risk of serious harm.
“Sadly, one in three people get stabbed with their own knife, which shows that carrying a knife does not keep you safe.
“If you think someone you know is habitually carrying a knife, be that a family member or maybe a friend, please challenge them and have an open honest conversation about the dangers of carrying knives.”
Carl Dixon, 35, Lazarus Makono, 26, and Alan Sutton, 41, have all died as a result of stabbings in the town in recent years and Mayor Oliver Coppard have confirmed more work will be done to end the ‘scourge’.
“One of my manifesto commitments was to prioritise a zero-tolerance approach to knife crime,” he added.
“It is a scourge on our communities, destroying the lives of both victims of knife crime and those who carry knives.
“In South Yorkshire there has been a downward trend in the numbers of incidents over the last 12 months of recorded figures, according to Office of National Statistics.
“I have made knife crime a priority and committed to take a zero-tolerance approach.
“Weeks of action like Sceptre are important, not just for taking knives off the streets in the short term, but also by putting early intervention and education at the heart of that approach.
“Everyone has the right to feel safe and secure, whoever they are, wherever they are.
“By working with South Yorkshire Police and across our communities, I am determined to make that vision a reality.
“If someone you know is carrying a knife, you can report it to the police or anonymously to Crimestoppers.”
