Article by Gerald Shaw
The first ever Knife Crime Awareness Month last November was a success. The celebration was organized by the police and the Redbridge Council to make the public more aware of the dangers linked with carrying a knife and the crimes related to it. Tasif Zaman of the Redbridge Youth Council has already organized a knife and gun crime event and thought that it would be a good idea to bring it to a wider audience. Though this is the first of its kind in the country, the organizers are hopeful that this won't be the last and are looking into making this a regular event every November. According to Zaman, "This is ever so important. Knife crimes are relatively low here, and it's certainly not as big a problem compared to other boroughs, but it's still important to get the message across. We need to help young people manage conflict. Hopefully, this month has taught them to do that." A number of incidents which are associated with knives usually come from people in the boroughs with young people being both the perpetrators and victims of the crimes. This motivated the police force to educate the people better on how they can protect themselves while at the same time informing people of the perils of carrying a knife around.Activities include a play about someone who decides to carry a blade, as well as knife arches and assemblies in schools. Redbridge Police's DCI Paige Kimberley said that the month was all about educating the public about carrying a knife. 'We're always reminding parents to check what their children are doing and to question them about their movements" she said. She hopes that the youth listen to their message and use the police department's confidential text service to let them know who is carrying a knife. If you want to report a knife crime anonymously, you can call or text the number 88551. Among those who have already reported include a person who was carrying an antique bowie knife bought at a bowie knife sale. A bowie knife was named after Colonel James Bowie who first popularized the knife during the 19th Century. It was originally made by James Black but became famous due to Bowie's use of it in an incident which later became known as the Sandbar Fight. The knife is popular among collectors and there are numerous knife makers making custom Bowies in different styles.
About the Author
Gerald Shaw is a voracious reader. Maybe that's why he writes so well.