£20K cash seized from criminals used to educate Tameside youngsters on the dangers of knife crime

The No More Knives Tour received a cheque from Greater Manchester Police's (GMP) Tameside district for £20k to fund the delivery of performances at four secondary schools and two higher education establishments in Tameside to educate young people on the dangers of knife crime.

The company has been given money through Greater Manchester Police’s Asset Recovery Incentive Scheme (ARIS) funding - money seized from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act which is then used to pay for crime reduction activities that benefit the local community.

No More Knives is focused on educating secondary school aged children about the risks involved with carrying a knife.

The tour held five sessions on November 21, covering classes from Year 7 to Year 10 at Mossley Hollins secondary school in Mossley.

Neighbourhood police officers from GMP’s Tameside district also presented their own input to inform the challenges officers face with knife crime and the associated dangers from a policing perspective.

The Message Trust, who deliver the tour, conducted pilot performances in other areas of Greater Manchester which showcased successes and resulted in young people handing over their knives to the police - putting themselves and their future first.

The tour has been delivered in partnership with Tameside Neighbourhood Policing Team, who will attend every 'No More Knives' tour presentation and will educate the young people about carrying a knife and also offer information on amnesty locations for those who want to surrender their knives.

Chief Insp Claire Galt of GMP’s Tameside neighbourhood team, said: “We really need to do all we can to spread the message to all of our young people about the fatal consequences of carrying a knife.

“We know that to tackle knife crime, we need to engage with young people in ways that they enjoy and understand and it is rewarding to see that the money we have seized from criminals in Tameside is used to fund a very good cause which will help the future of Tameside.

“If the tour can make one young person hand in their knife to one of the amnesty bins, we are one step in the right direction to creating a safer Greater Manchester.”

“We know that some young people feel like they have no choice but to carry a knife and I encourage parents and guardians to talk to their children about the dangers of carrying a knife and offer advice on where to dispose of the knives safely.

"We also want the public to help by telling us who is carrying a knife. Anyone with any information about knife crime or if you know someone who is carrying a knife, please contact police on 101 or through our LiveChat facility on gmp.police.uk or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."