News - Young people's knife crime

Stolen Lives, a project commissioned by the Metropolitan Police and delivered by the Police Community Clubs of Great Britain, empowers young people to tackle knife crime in their area. It is being delivered in 10 London Boroughs.

During the consultation phase, the young people involved talk openly about their experiences of weapons and gangs, as well as considering physical, social and legal consequences, and the reasons for carrying a weapon. They go on to discuss how they would influence their peers to make good decisions.

From this, a detailed, borough-specific report is published that feeds into the Metropolitan Police’s Operation Blunt. But the project doesn’t end there. A smaller group of young people in each borough work with film-makers to develop a film highlighting the key issues identified in the consultation – the films are created for young people by young people and each borough’s film reflects issues specific to that area.

Because Stolen Lives provides opportunities for young people to get involved in the design and production of the films, the project creates ownership among young people, which makes them more receptive to the messages.

A Teachers’ Resource with detailed lesson plans linked to the national citizenship curriculum supports the film and the pack is delivered to all secondary schools in that borough. In addition, all primary schools receive copies of an action research book and an online game, Uchooze, encourages good decision-making with the primary transfer age group.

Chief Superintendent Chris McDonald said, “This is one of the best peer education programmes I have ever seen. Stolen Lives really engages young people and gets some strong messages across, as well as providing a fantastic creative opportunity for the young people involved.”

The Waltham Forest project was launched in March and was very well received. Ashley Faulkner, a student at Norlington School for Boys, was involved in Stolen Lives in Waltham Forest. He said, “The fact that it was filmed in our area using our ideas made us feel connected to the project.”

Safelink Resources, who manage the project for the Police Community Clubs, has now developed the Stolen Lives model into the Recreate Project, which applies the same methodology to addressing other social issues affecting young people, such as underage drinking and teenage pregnancy.