Chief
Constable to Share Knife Crime ‘Best Practice’
Chief Constable Julia Hodson has volunteered Nottinghamshire
to be part of a national sample study to share good practice in tackling
knife crime. Nottingham has bucked the national trend with a 27 per cent
drop in incidents of knife offences.
By joining a group of ten other forces, Nottinghamshire Police will have
the opportunity to share its good practice and help other forces in their
strategic approach to tackling this type of offence. It will also offer
a chance to learn from other forces which are successful in this area.
Says Julia Hodson: 'We have consulted widely within the county and agree
that we have a lot to share with other forces. It is also important that
we grasp every opportunity to learn from other good performers about ways
of preventing this type of offending.
'We have a responsibility to our communities to share everything we know
and also to make the most of every bit of information that’s out
there to help establish even better practices and create safe environments
for people to live and work.
'Nottinghamshire was the first force in the country to introduce a murder
prevention strategy. This reflects its determination to prevent and deter
serious violent offending as well as its commitment to detecting crimes
and prosecuting offenders.'
The Chief said she is keen to sell the message that effective partnerships
are the way forward. 'We cannot tackle this issue alone. This is a behavioural
issue which needs to be addressed by a whole range of partners, not least
parents, to ensure that we shape young people’s perceptions of the
world. It is vital that they understand the real consequences of knife
crime and understand how to manage and resolve conflict.
'In Nottingham, where there has been a 27 per cent drop in stabbings,
there is some impressive youth intervention work being undertaken by a
range of partners and I believe this is having a real impact. That, of
course, must be combined with robust enforcement and appropriate sentencing.
We are determined to keep our foot on the pedal and use every tactic at
our disposal to minimise the number of people becoming victims of knife
offences.'
Chairman of the Police Authority, John Clarke, says it is a privilege
to take part in the study and that this reflects the good work already
underway in the county. 'Knife crime is a deplorable offence and
Nottinghamshire’s inclusion in this programme illustrates the importance
placed on reducing crime of this type,' he says. 'The work carried
out to combat such crimes, particularly the most violent incidents, has
shown significant results. This study will provide the opportunity for
everyone to benefit and share best practice and shows that once again
Nottinghamshire is at the forefront of fighting crime.'
Jon Collins, Leader of the City Council, said: 'We take our responsibility
to tackle knife crime very seriously, so we are pleased that we’ve
seen a 27% drop.
'Our youth engagement work and wider education and early intervention
initiatives are vitally important to make young people aware of the true
consequences of carrying a knife.
'The No More Knives campaign has been held up as best practice for speaking
to young people using language and methods that they understand and will
be something I’m sure other areas will be interested in. We’re
pleased to share with others how we’ve managed to get the figures
going in the right direction.
'We’re not complacent though and will build on the excellent partnership
work which has served us so well to bring down the number of knife crime
incidents, and will be happy to learn from other areas too.'
Jane Geraghty, Chief Officer for Nottinghamshire Probation Area, said:
'The probation service supports Nottinghamshire Police, local organisations,
agencies and communities in tackling knife crime by contributing to the
assessment and management of risk posed by crime of this nature, and by
providing demanding community sentences, including Community Payback and
Enhanced Supervision which reflect the community's opposition to violent
crime and which challenge and alter the thinking and behaviour of young
people caught up in it '.
Councillor Glynn Gilfoyle, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Partnerships
at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: 'We are pleased that Nottinghamshire
Police is taking a leading role in tackling knife crime. We will continue
to support the police by working proactively with young people and by
carrying out test purchase activities to ensure that retailers aren't
selling knives to underage children.'
