HOME secretary Priti Patel met pupils at a school in Solihull borough today to discuss knife crime and the dangers of social media.
The MP for Witham in Essex stopped off on the general election campaign trail at the Arden Multi Academy Trust on Station Road, Knowle.
Martin Murphy, chief executive of the Arden Academy Trust, said: “It was a great honour for the school to receive the home secretary.
“She was extremely honest and open and our pupils were given free range to ask the questions they wanted.
“It was clear that the home secretary is completely committed to the eradication of knife crime from schools, she recognises that knife crime is a problem in the region, but only through the concerted efforts of education and police provision can it be dealt with.”
Launching knife crime pledges on November 19, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Anyone caught unlawfully with a knife will be immediately arrested, charged within 24 hours and in court within a week – three times faster than the current average.
“Police will be empowered to target known knife carriers with a new court order, making it easier for officers to stop and search those known in the past to have carried weapons.
“Violence reduction units – multi-agency teams made up of the police, social services and other agencies – will be boosted by £35 million next year to champion preventative work and stop violence from happening in the first place.”
