Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone has praised a new youth-led campaign highlighting the devastating consequences of knife crime.
It comes as the Northamptonshire Serious Violence Prevention Partnership (NSVPP), which aims to reduce violence across the county and understand the underlying causes, has commissioned a new video called ‘When you carry a knife, no one wins’.
The powerful new campaign, centred round the video, shows the collective grief experienced by those affected by knife crime and seeks to stop young people from carrying a knife.
The video, produced my Menace Media, was premiered at Northampton Museum on 21 May at an event which heard perspectives of young people and professionals on knife crime.
Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone is responsible for bringing together each different authority, which makes up the NSVPP.
Those include the OPFCC, Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, Youth Offending and Probation Services, Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board, North Northamptonshire Council, West Northamptonshire Council.
Danielle said: “The power of this campaign is that it was shaped by young people for young people – it speaks to the devastating consequences of carrying a knife in a way that is meaningful to them.
“Reducing knife crime means changing attitudes and behaviours.
“Through this campaign, The Serious Violence Prevention Partnership brings young people into the conversation and gives them the tools to talk about the far-reaching impact of carrying a knife.”
Police Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone speaks with Thomas, a West Northants Member of Youth Parliament, at the event at Northampton Museum on 21 May
As well as showing the large-scale impact of knife crime, the video also captures the small, everyday moments that families and friends lose after someone has died.
The campaign was developed through a series of focus groups and workshops held with young people across the county, ensuring that the messaging authentically reflects their experiences and resonates with their reality.
Cheri Curran whose son Louis-Ryan Menezes was killed on 25 May 2018 in Northampton has pledged her support to the campaign.
She said: “There is no pain like losing your child to knife crime but seeing everyone come together for this campaign gives me hope.
“This campaign is getting to the heart of it. It shows what’s really at stake and how carrying a knife can change everything.
“The video is from the perspective of young people—it shows that forever pain. I hope that through this we can reach them and stop another family from living with that heartache and loss.”
