Officers visit St John’s for knife crime talks

Officers from the Wiltshire Police Youth & Early Intervention and Neighbourhood Policing Teams made their first of many school visits at St. John’s, Marlborough to talk to students about knife crime. 

The drop-in sessions are part of a two-week period of intensified activity called Operation Sceptre which is co-ordinated by Wiltshire Police and targets knife crime from the root cause right through to enforcement.

Students asked questions about stop and search, the legalities and consequences of carrying a knife and were told how they could report crime anonymously through the Crimestoppers website, Fearless. Click here.

Wiltshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson, wants to see the relationships between the police and local schools continue to be strengthened:

“The proactive work of Wiltshire Police to maintain a visible presence in Wiltshire needs to be supported by our early intervention team along with schools, charities, community groups, our local councils and the health service to ensure the education about the dangers of carrying a knife reaches beyond the classroom. 

“It is the role of my office, and our partners, to continue to intervene earlier, when necessary, and to make sure we’re providing positive alternatives and opportunities to those who are at risk of, and vulnerable to, being targeted and drawn into knife crime.”

The latest ONS statistics show Wiltshire had the biggest rise in knife crime in the south-west over a 12-month reporting period up to December 2022 leading to increased visibilty patrols in parts of the county where knife crime is prevalent.

PC Bex Mitchell from the Youth & Early Intervention team knows the difference visits like this can make:

“We know that the causes of knife crime are complex but by coming to places like St John’s and visiting other schools across Wiltshire, we can give young people the information they need which will help them to either get out of trouble or stay out of trouble.

“By building these relationships at an early stage, it enables us to tackle the root causes of knife crime and work with teachers, youth workers and most importantly students to keep Wiltshire safe.”

The officers spoke to pupils from Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 during their lunch hour and Maeve McNeil, the Safeguarding Lead at St John’s, was pleased with the visit:

“The officers spent time with our students talking about knife crime and showing the various ways they can detect knives. As a school we look forward to welcoming the officers back with other local and national initiatives to keep our students informed and safe.”