A new project to prevent knife crime across Leicestershire through research and re-education has received vital funding to support its work.
On 14th December, Leicestershire Police and Crime Commissioner Lord Willy Bach presented a two-year funding award to Leicester-based training provider E2 for its Drop the Knife and Live Your Life. The organisation, which will deliver the project in three stages consisting of youth consultation and research, analysis and educational intervention, will receive £12,500 for the first year of the scheme followed by £12,499.80 in 2018-19 from Willy Bach's Prevention Fund.
The PCC met project leaders involved with the scheme and young people currently benefitting from its educational work.
Lord Willy Bach said, "This funding will tackle one of the greatest risks to young people in a positive and proactive way. I've made it clear that I feel we need to provide tangible solutions to problems rather than simply mopping up the damage. This means changing attitudes and negative behavioural patterns before they have the change of inflicting harm. Nowhere is this more urgent than with knife crime. The chances of anyone in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland becoming a victim of knife crime thankfully remain low but, like other parts of the country, rising knife crime remains a serious threat. With this vital source of income, the specialists behind Drop Your Knife and Live Your Life can really get to work on identifying the social factors that increase risk and use that knowledge to guide vulnerable young people to a safer future."
