TEENAGERS at Solihull College were told about the dangers of knife crime as seen by West Midlands Police.
The force’s Solihull Early Help team visited the college to speak about the risks of knife crime and how to stay safe.
The team put on 14 sessions, each lasted around and was delivered to over 100 students.
The main session was a presentation from PC Naiyer Khan, Young Persons Officer, which included discussions around knife crime, offensive weapons and joint enterprise.
Then 10 students were then selected to use virtual reality (VR headsets).
Here, they played the role of a young person in a park where a fight was going to happen. In each scenario they had to choose what they would do next, whether they would participate in it and how things changed if knives were involved.
West Midlands Police said: “As well as our operational activity to reduce the number of knives on the streets, we understand how important it is to have these conversations with young people in schools and colleges.
“The students found the sessions really positive and beneficial, encouraging open discussions around the reality of knife crime.
“The feedback was so positive that the team have been contacted by colleagues from Gloucestershire Police to learn more about our approach.
“We understand that conversations around knife crime can be difficult, but we need help from the community and parents in tackling knife crime.
“The thought of seeing your child in trouble, hurt or even worse is a parent’s worst nightmare. So now is the right time to chat to your child about knife crime and the impact it can have.”
West Midlands Police have put together some guidance to help parents have a conversation with youngsters to avoid any potential future situations where a knife may be involved.
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