Anti-knife crime campaign extended

Feb 8 2012

A campaign which helped to reduce knife carrying by up to a third in some parts of the country has been launched in two more areas.

The No Knives Better Lives campaign will be brought to North and South Lanarkshire.

The scheme is said to have already reduced knife carrying by 35% in Inverclyde, where it was piloted, and by 29% in neighbouring Renfrewshire during the period of campaigning in those areas.

It targets advertising at places where young people are known to congregate and uses diversionary activities, work in schools and youth-work interventions to cut down on knife carrying.

Speaking during a visit to Hamilton, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: "There is a culture of knife crime in parts of Scotland which stretches back decades and sadly, as we've seen from recent tragic events, communities continue to suffer the heartache of loved ones lost or injured as a result of knives.

"There are clearly no easy solutions but we want to do everything we possibly can to stop the next generation of young Scots from going down the wrong path in life.

"We know that the key to tackling knife crime is a combination of tough enforcement on the streets, backed by early intervention and education."

Strathclyde Police Chief Inspector David Walker said: "The No Knives Better Lives campaign is a welcome addition to the existing work in Lanarkshire aimed at tackling violent crime. We are confident that the initiative will go a long way to helping young people make the right choices when it comes to knife crime and choosing not to carry a knife."