Council and community join forces to tackle knife crime
West Lancashire Borough Council is proud to be working in partnership with Community Safety Education, supported by Wates, to raise awareness and act against knife crime across the Borough.
Knife crime destroys lives and communities. West Lancashire Borough Council is taking decisive action, working with partners to protect young people and make our streets safer.
As part of its ongoing commitment to community safety, the Council supported Community Safety Education, a non-profit organisation committed to empowering disadvantaged young people in communities, who visited secondary schools across West Lancashire, engaging directly with Year 11 students to deliver vital knife crime awareness sessions.
These sessions aim to educate young people on the dangers of carrying knives, how to stay safe and how to speak up to protect themselves and others in their communities.
In addition to school outreach, the Council has launched a series of educational promotional materials that highlight key messages around knife crime prevention across the week on social media channels. These include guidance on how to report concerns, support friends at risk, and safely dispose of unwanted knives.
The Council is proud to support and amplify the message of Operation Sceptre, a national initiative led by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), to tackle knife crime, which ran across Lancashire during the week commencing 17th November, led locally by the Lancashire Violence Reduction Network.
Op Sceptre will feature a wide range of impactful events and activities, including:
- The launch of the Responsible Retailer Scheme
- Operational policing activity targeting knife-related offences
- School-based educational inputs
- Lived experience talks from Laura Hughes, who tragically lost her brother to knife crime
- Knife crime awareness days at local football clubs
- Knifesavers training at Preston North End
- Hope Hacks events in two of Lancashire’s prisons
Knife surrender bins are now available at the following locations:
- Tanhouse Community Centre, Skelmersdale
- Skelmersdale Police Station
- Ormskirk Police Station
- Evermoor Hub, Skelmersdale
Councillor Gareth Dowling, Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Community Safety, said: "Knife crime has no place in any community. Through education, collaboration, and proactive engagement, we are working to ensure that people understand the risks and know where to turn for help.
“We are proud to stand alongside our partners in supporting Operation Sceptre and making West Lancashire a safer place for all."
If you have concerns or want to help to get involved or access support, please visit https://crimestoppers-uk.org/
