Clinical staff from the Children’s Emergency Department (ED) at Leeds Teaching Hospitals have joined forces with specialist officers from West Yorkshire Police to deliver a series of knife crime prevention workshops in seven secondary schools across Leeds.
The pilot project targets pupils in years eight and nine as part of ongoing partnership efforts to deter young people from carrying knives. It includes sessions with Leeds Children’s Hospital ED consultants who highlight the severity of stab wounds seen in Children’s ED as well as a fictional murder investigation scenario run by police officers.
The scheme, led by Children’s ED consultants and specialist officers from West Yorkshire Police’s Integrated Offender Management 6th Prison Hub Team, builds on the positive work of the Junior Detective Programme.
That scheme, which was recently run in Leeds and Bradford, was aimed at raising awareness of the consequences of serious youth violence and criminal exploitation linked to gangs and looked to equip young people with the knowledge to act as ‘knife crime ambassadors’ in their schools and communities.
This latest initiative in schools supports Project Shield, which is the city’s longer term co-ordinated response to knife crime, backed by the city community safety partnership – Safer Leeds and the West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Partnership.
The first event was held at Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School on January 24. Students at Ralph Thoresby School (pictured) took part in the new initiative on 7 February coinciding with school’s celebration of student’s cultures. A further event followed at St Marys Menston school in March with events scheduled at Roundhay School, Guiseley School, Prince Henry’s Grammar School and Allerton Grange School over the coming months.
The sessions give young people a first-hand insight into the harsh realities of knife crime and the impact it can have on victims, families and the wider community. The workshops also include teaching students how to respond in the event of a knife crime including how to make an accurate 999 call and life-saving first aid and CPR.
Hospital doctors and specialist nurses are currently delivering workshops as volunteers in their own time but hope to secure funding make further workshops more sustainable.
“As a Children’s Emergency Medicine Consultant I am extremely concerned about the rising numbers of knife crime incidents we are encountering, especially in young people under 16 years of age. We hope that in delivering these workshops, we can educate young people about the risks of knife crime, and teach them important life saving techniques they could use if needed. Visiting local schools also allows us to develop strong links with the community and a better understanding of the challenges facing young people today.”
Dr Helen Mollard from Leeds Children’s Hospital
Sergeant Tom Clark, of the Integrated Offender Management 6th Prison Hub Team, said:
“Addressing the risks and harms of knife crime remains a key priority for the police and our partner agencies, and we are fully committed to doing everything we can to raise awareness and keep young people safe.
“The medical staff supporting the scheme have seen first-hand the horrendous injuries that child knife crime victims in the city have suffered and their voices are a vital part of hitting home the message to young people.
“We know that the root causes and driving factors around young people involved in knife crime are much wider than policing alone and it is only through everyone across our partner agencies and our communities playing their part that we will continue make progress.”
Tom Dennett, Head of Religious Studies and Citizenship at Ralph Thoresby School said:
“At Ralph Thoresby we believe that education is the key to shaping the future. By working with hospital staff and West Yorkshire Police, we are giving students real-life insights into the impact of knife crime while teaching vital first-aid skills that could save lives. This event not only empowers students to support their communities but also introduces them to careers in healthcare, emergency services, and law enforcement, broadening their aspirations.”