Bournemouth, Christchurch, Crime, Poole | Posted on May 20th, 2024 | return to news
Knife crime campaign launched in BCP Council area
A major campaign to educate young people on the dangers of knife crime has been launched across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council are working alongside multiple partner agencies including Dorset Police and the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner under the Safer BCP partnership, on a campaign that tackles knife crime head on.
The Knife Crime Awareness campaign runs from Monday 15 April to Saturday 15 June 2024.
It aims to raise awareness around knife crime, as well as the dangers and health implications of carrying a knife, educating young people through a series of events and activities over the eight weeks.
It also aims to recognise and celebrate young people, those who help to make Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole a great place to be.
Dorset is a safe place to live, work and play, with figures released by the Office of National Statistics earlier this year highlighting Dorset remains the seventh safest place to live in England and Wales.
Most of the serious violent crime in BCP is committed by adults but SaferBCP is keen to focus on young people as part of a preventative model to deter young people from the outset to break the link between juvenile crime and disorder, and adult offending.
BCP youth services worked with young people to come up with suggested slogans for this initiative, with #LivesBeforeKnives borne out of their ideas to front this campaign.
This high visibility awareness campaign was conceived, in part, following the tragic knife-related death of 18-year-old Cameron Hamilton in Bournemouth Town Centre last summer.
Cameron’s grandmother Tracy Jose, has been instrumental in this campaign from the outset, with the #ChangesAreMade slogan being created by her in honour of her grandson, Cameron.
#LivesBeforeKnives #ChangesAreMade aim to deliver a high impact awareness and education programme across the eight weeks with the work to continue throughout the year, helping make a real difference across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
All partners will be working closely together to share information, collaborate and plan, so we can target the interventions to prevent serious violence across our local communities.
Knife crime must stop. Full stop.
Find out more about the campaign and events and activities that are happening across the coming weeks which include theatre workshops, skateboarding events, school activities, live music and much more to engage young people. https://www.saferbcp.co.uk/knife-crime-awareness/events-and-activities
An innovative, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered digital screen at a bus shelter in Bournemouth is also helping to raise awareness of the dangers of knife crime.
These initiatives are complemented with resources and support networks to equip parents and carers as well as members of the community with the tools to address and prevent knife-related incidents effectively.
Please share post:
LATEST NEWS:
CHARITY OF THE YEAR
Subscribe to the online magazine news letter
