‘Guerrilla knitting’ backed by Leicestershire Police

Residents in Leicester are being encouraged by local officers to take part in ‘yarn-bombing’ events as part of an effort to cut crime.

Officers based at the Hinckley Road police station encouraged people to donate knitted items to the station on March 2, which will then be used to “brighten up” the area around Great Central Way and Bede Park in the city. Leicester City Council, students from De Montford University and local schools also joined in to support the initiative.

The perception of crime in some urban areas, such as around Great Central Way, is often higher than the actual reported figures, reflecting unease many members of the public have when walking through these areas. The ‘guerrilla knitting’ campaigns are designed to reduce residents’ fear of crime by showing a more vibrant community spirit.

Simon Barnes, a sergeant with the Westcotes safer neighbourhood team, said he was pleased with the number of people taking part, likening the knitting to a public art display.

“We’re absolutely delighted with the response of knitted donations so far. It’s great to know that the community does want to be involved,” he said.

“I’m a great believer in bringing lots of different groups of people together to solve problems and this is a wonderful activity to demonstrate that together we can make a difference. I am really hopeful that the actions will reduce the fear of becoming a victim of crime, as the perception really is much different to the actual reported levels of crime.”

Charlotte Bilby, a senior lecturer in criminology at Northumbria University, said while no research had been carried out into whether such initiatives helped the perceptions of crime, the collaborative project could make people feel more secure.

“The park doesn’t have a crime problem, but there is a perception that it is unsafe and unwelcoming,” she said.

“There is no evidence to show that guerrilla knitting cuts crime. However, what we do know is that initiatives which build community involvement, cohesion and identity can have an impact on both perceptions about crime as well as rates of crime.

“So, even though there’s no research on the impact of guerrilla knitting, you could say that what the police, council and the local university are trying to do – create a community cohesion, doing something a little bit silly, making an area look as though it’s loved and used by people of all ages – can have an impact on fear of crime and, possibly, crime rates too.”

Leicestershire Police’s initiative was supported by the Knitting Guerrillas from Birstall (KGB), a voluntary group looking to use colourful crotchet-work to brighten up the lives of Leicestershire locals.

‘Trout Mask’, one of the KGB’s top operatives, said they were keen to infiltrate other organisations, citing their recent work with Wednesday Wellbeing in the county, adding they were looking to work with other bodies and establish a less woolly evidence-base.

“This was the first time we’d collaborated in something of this nature as we normally set our own agenda, but as we appreciate collaborative efforts, so we thought we’d take part,” they said. “We are often approached with projects, but this often involves giving up our time for free, so we have to turn them down as we need to make a living.”