Lancashire Police visited Preston’s College as part of an ongoing campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of carrying a knife to young people across the county.
On March 4th the neighbourhood policing teams brought along a knife arch which scans individuals as they walk through it. Learners also had the opportunity to attend knife crime inputs at the college to gain insight into the potential consequences of carrying and using a bladed weapon. Over 1500 learners attended throughout the morning, with no significant issues identified. Positive feedback was received, confirming the value of the event in encouraging a greater level of awareness.
There have been a number of high profile cases nationally, and knife crime is not a part of everyday life in the county, but Lancashire Police recognise the importance of taking action to prevent a problem occurring. The force takes a pro-active approach and regularly runs events to interact and engage with young people.
Principal and chief executive, Dr Lis Smith, explains: “We have a responsibility to support our learners beyond their technical or academic studies, including raising awareness of key topics, and we welcome working with Lancashire Police to help educate our young people about the dangers and impact of carrying knives and knife crime. We regularly engage with our colleagues in colleges across Lancashire and the UK to share best practice and ways of communicating the dangers effectively with our learners.”
Sgt Paul McLernon from Lancashire Police added: “We have been using the knife arches for several months at various places around the Preston area, from schools and colleges through to the train station and in the city centre. It’s important that we educate everyone, from young people to parents about the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife as we want Lancashire to be a safe place to live and work.”
