Carrying a blade doesn't give you an edge.
That's the main message as we get behind Cleveland Police's knife crime prevention campaign to raise awareness of the dangers associated with carrying knives or blades.
A key part of the campaign is also to raise awareness of the help and support available to those young people who are scared or feel pressured to carry a knife or are scared of being hurt by a knife or other bladed weapon.
There have been 609 knife crimes so far this year (January 1st – August 31st 2023). Of those, 186 victims have been under the ages of 25, and 153 knife crime suspects have been under the age of 25. Nationally, Cleveland Police is the second highest police area for levels of knife crime, after West Midlands.
Cleveland Police Chief Inspector Stu Hodgson, the force lead on knife crime, said:
“The purpose of the campaign is to educate teenagers about the reality of carrying a knife and show them that there is help out there if they feel themselves being pulled into this type of crime. We are here to help and we want to protect them from harm – this is not just about us wanting to catch more young people with knives.
If you feel trapped in a life you don’t want to be living, engaging and working with our Youth Offending Team and our partner agencies, can help you to find positive diversions and help you to aspire to go to college, get an apprenticeship or job. Think about the life you want and the life you could have.”
Club captain David Ferguson, alongside several players and Hartlepool United Community Sports Foundation, were in attendance as Hartlepool Outreach LtoR Scott Hughes and PC Geoffrey Coggin visited the Suit Direct Stadium to raise awareness of the campaign.
Click here to view the Cleveland Police website and learn more information.
