Amidst a recent spate of stabbings in Bristol and Bath, Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford has sounded the alarm, calling for urgent intervention to break the cycle of gang-led knife crime. He believes that young people need to be given a sense of purpose and a better stake in society, emphasizing the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme as a successful model.
Shelford, a Conservative candidate standing for re-election on May 2, believes that schemes like cadets or the Duke of Edinburgh program can provide young people with aspiration, ambition, and teamwork, replacing the negative influences of gangs. He expressed concern that young people are often excluded from school before they come to the attention of violence reduction partnerships, highlighting the need to engage with them earlier.
To improve relationships between young people and the police, Shelford advocates for programs like the Mini Police, part of the National Volunteer Police Cadets program, which engages children aged eight to 11 in positive policing experiences and community involvement. He believes that such programs can help reduce the cycle of violence driving gang-led knife crime.
