By Newsdesk

PCSO Sukinder Lally from the West Midlands Police’s Willenhall team joined Natalie Queiroz from Precious Lives to deliver an educational input on the effects of knife crime to young people at Nova Training.

“It is so important to have serious conversations with young people in schools, colleges and other youth provisions to educate them on the risks of knife crime and how to stay safe,” a statement by the police read.

The Precious Lives initiative, funded by the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, sends people with real life experiences of knife crime into schools, colleges and youth centres to explain to young people just how dangerous carrying a knife can be.

The trainers can be victims of knife crime, offenders or professionals.

Natalie was a victim of knife crime in 2016 and now shares her experience with young people in order to help them understand the consequences of carrying or using a knife.

The sessions are designed to be hard hitting and impactful with an emphasis placed on connecting with the young people and delivering a message.

The police are playing their part in tackling knife crime, from operational activity aimed at reducing the number of knives on our streets to educational inputs in schools.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, said: “It’s pleasing to see so many of our young people are getting the message, that carrying a knife is seriously dangerous.

“If you carry a knife, you’re much more likely to become a victim of knife crime and it’s important young people understand that.

“It’s also vital that we equip our young people with the knowledge and skills needed to respond, if they see one of their peers carrying a weapon.

“I fund the Precious Lives Project, because prevention and education are vital, if we are to keep the young people in our region safe.

The statement added, “We cannot do it alone – we need help from the community and parents in tackling knife crime, and our #LifeOrKnife website provides guidance and help to parents, carers, teachers and professionals that can help us.

“The thought of seeing your child in trouble, hurt or even worse is a parent’s worst nightmare. So now is the right time to chat to your child about knife crime and the impact it can have.

“We’ve put together some simple guidance to help you have that conversation, what to say, and explore routes for your child to avoid any potential future situations where a knife may be involved.”

You can visit our #LifeOrKnife website for more information at Home – Life Or Knife – The choice is yours (west-midlands.police.uk)