It’s been one year since South Wales Police launched their #NotTheOne campaign, working in collaboration with the Violence Prevention Unit, to educate young people on the reality of carrying a weapon.
The campaign highlights the dangers and consequences of knife crime through real-life stories and educational resources, to help community members, parents, and young people educate themselves on the impact that knife crime can have, as well as what to do if they, or someone they know, is struggling.
Since its launch, the campaign combined with efforts from officers and specialist teams across South Wales, has seen an almost 12% decline in knife crime in our communities.
Superintendent Esyr Jones, Lead for Serious Violence said, “Every weapon removed from the streets is a small step to success, but the wider goal is to stop those weapons being picked up in the first place. This reduction in knife crime is a step in the right direction but as always, we remain committed to reducing this further.”
Over the last 12 months we have seen over 13,500 visits and over 1,000 downloads of our educational resource pack, including:
295 schools to deliver knife crime prevention lessons.
212 youth and sports clubs.
178 people aged under 18.
93 parents.
Our communities have played a vital part in helping us deliver this campaign, with partners, educational settings and youth forums all delivering their own sessions.
Detective Chief Inspector Jason Herbert, Violence Prevention Unit said, “Keeping our young people safe and giving them the best start that we can is vital. Knife crime can affect anyone, and we all have a part to play in educating, tackling, and preventing it within our communities. To all those who have been delivering sessions, we thank you and urge you to keep up the good work, it really is making a positive difference to our efforts to reduce knife crime.”
To find out more about the campaign and to download materials for your own sessions, visit: www.nottheone.co.uk
