Dispatch district police cadets at the forefront of promoting knife crime crackdown campaign

Cadets designed anti-knife crime posters in support of the scheme.

Romel Davis, principal cadet leader and youth outreach worker for the force, recapped on Lyrico’s story and why the base was set up and opened in 2019 to leave a positive legacy in the local area for young people.

Lyrico was stabbed and died in February 2018 when he was just 17.

The cadet base in his memory, aimed at 11 to 16-year-olds, is at the Crabtree Farm Community Centre in Bulwell.

Since it opened, the centre has gone from strength to strength, with dozens of youngsters going through its doors and being encouraged to make positive life choices.

The winner of the poster competition, James Fitzgerald, 14, was picked by Lyrico’s mother, Keishaye, who congratulated him along with all who had taken part.

James also received some goodies for his work.

In all, police made 14 knife-related arrests during the week of action.

Officers also stopped and searched 121 people, carried out 49 weapons sweeps in open spaces and seized nine knives during their range of proactive work to tackle the issue.

Amnesty bins were sited in police stations in the city and county – including Hucknall and Bulwell – enabling members of the public to drop off their unwanted knives without fear of prosecution.

A total of 51 knives were also handed in during the campaign, adding to the 244 weapons handed in during a successful two-week amnesty in the summer.

That amnesty was held to also raise public awareness of new legislation now in force under the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 meaning it is now illegal to have certain types of knives and other items, even at home in private, as well as it being an offence to carry them in public.

The latest official figures show that knife crime in Nottinghamshire has plummeted by a massive 25 per cent in the last three years, including a 10 per cent drop in the last year, and that Nottinghamshire has fewer knife crimes than neighbouring Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

Superintendent Kathryn Craner, Nottinghamshire Police’s knife crime lead, said: “Operation Sceptre is just a snapshot of our ongoing proactive work across the city and county to drive down knife crime and remove potentially lethal weapons off the streets and out of the hands of offenders.

"I'd like to thank the public of Nottinghamshire for their continued support and for taking the opportunity to hand in knives as we continue to tackle knife crime by working together.”

Caroline Henry, Nottinghamshire police and crime commissioner, added: “I am proud of the steps police and partners have taken to tackle knife crime here in Nottinghamshire. Whilst we are seeing significant successes in tackling this crime, we must continue to do more to ensure our families and communities do not feel the devastating impacts of knife crime.”