Knife crime safety campaign addresses latest generation

The Crucial Crew project educates about 10,000 youngsters across North Yorkshire each year about real-life dangers which they will face as they grow-up and become more independent.

The 2011 event began at Deverell Barracks in Ripon, during which over 2,000 primary school children took part in a series of 10-minute workshops, each offering a hands-on approach to safety prevention and responsible behaviour in hazardous situations.

The children were encouraged to get involved and recreate certain scenarios, during which they are encouraged to think about how they would react.

The situations include demonstrations on electrical safety, shop theft and the consequences for offenders and victims, the dangers of illegal drugs, internet safety, anti-social behaviour, fire safety and road accidents.

The anti-knife crime community video which has been made by students at St John Fisher Catholic High School in Harrogate is one of three projects shortlisted to win North Yorkshire region’s Crimebeat competition.

Harrogate police youth action officer Paul Stephenson, who helped organise the Ripon event, said: “This is the 20th year the event has been running and it is always well received by the schoolchildren who attend.

“The success of the event is down to all the agencies working together to get important safety messages across to the children, which will hopefully stay with them forever and could potentially save their own or somebody else’s life.”

Worseley UK, from Ripon provided 50 volunteers for the 10-day event to act as role-players for each situation. The event is also supported by North Yorkshire Youth through the Vinvolved project which supports young volunteers from Harrogate High School, Harrogate College and Ripon Grammar School.

Other agencies which are involved include CE Electric UK, Asda, the MoD Police, West Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, and the Health and Safety Executive.

Further Crucial Crew events will be running across North Yorkshire throughout the coming months.