Knife arch installed at Grace Academy Darlaston for awareness event
A knife arch was installed at a Walsall school for a day to tackle knife crime among young people.
West Midlands Police installed the knife arch at Grace Academy Darlaston for a day to help create awareness of the dangers of knife crime.
More than 600 students were involved in the ‘No knives, better lives’ day in support of a local initiative to tackle knife crime and improve community safety.
Sarah Barford, whose son was threatened with a knife on the way home from school, said it was important to educate students across the area about how knife crime can affect the victim’s families.
She said: “Fortunately, my son ran home to tell his dad what had happened, but what if he had been stabbed and killed? I would be preparing for a funeral which nobody wants to even think about doing. It was the most horrific time in my life, to think that someone could have changed all our lives forever.
“There should be more education about the effects of knife crime, not only for the person committing the crime, but also the victim and their families as their lives could change forever.”
Possession of a knife can carry a prison sentence of up to five years, even if it is not used.
Ian Probert, from West Midlands Police, said: “If you are caught with a knife, it doesn’t matter if it was for your own protection or you were carrying it for someone else. You will be arrested and prosecuted because self-protection is not a reasonable excuse for carrying an offensive weapon.
"Students who carry knives could get hurt by accident, hurt other people, get arrested or get excluded from school. Also, if you have a criminal record, you might not be accepted into a college or university, be able to get a job, or travel to some countries like the USA, Canada or Australia.”
Carl Salt, principal of Grace Academy Darlaston, added: “We are fully behind any initiative that will help to create a safer community for our students and their families. It’s so important to get the message across that if you carry a knife you can be a danger to yourself and others – and also be liable to prosecution. We take this issue very seriously and anyone found carrying a knife in this school will be immediately excluded.”
