Anti-guns campaign reaches 10,000 pupils
A West Midlands Police school presentation designed to steer teenagers away from gun crime and deglamourise gang culture has reached more than 10,000 pupils across the region.
A West Midlands Police school presentation designed to steer teenagers away from gun crime and deglamourise gang culture has reached more than 10,000 pupils across the region.
The hard-hitting Guns & Knives Take Lives project run by forces firearms unit was launched a year ago and features a moving talk from Marcia Shakespeare, mother of innocent victim Letisha Shakespeare who was shot dead in 2003 by a gang member.
It has been taken to around 80 schools in the West Midlands and, last term, surpassed the five-figure audience milestone.
Firearms trainer PC Rob Pedley, who runs the presentation, said: The presentation uses real life stories and impactful footage to get across the message that carrying weapons, or being involved in gangs, isnt cool or clever. Instead, as we demonstrate, it can have catastrophic consequences.
We tackle issues such as peer pressure and look at how peoples lives have been irrevocably changed as a result of gun crime. Weve had terrific feedback from the pupils who seem to be genuinely engaged by the project and are taking on board our messages.
One striking piece of real-life CCTV footage in the presentation shows two teenagers, one of whom is concealing a toy gun which hes flashed at passers-by, walking along a Birmingham street.
As they are approached by specialist firearms officers responding to calls from concerned members of the public believing the gun to be genuine the armed teen moves to discard the imitation weapon.
On seeing the gun both firearms officers draw their pistols, added POC Pedley, and one later said how he began squeezing the trigger and was literally just a couple of millimetres from taking a shot. This lad came close to being killed and all because he fooling around with a toy gun and trying to worry people.
Last year, Guns & Knives Take Lives focused primarily on Birmingham schools and colleges but this year the project has moved across Coventry, Sandwell and Wolverhampton.
Speaking after a talk at Coundon Court School, Coventry, Ms Shakespeare said: Ultimately were trying to save lives by encouraging young people to make the right choices and not to get involved in gang activities.
There are no winners in gang culture: victims suffer serious injuries or are killed, while the perpetrators are locked away in prison for a long time.
The polices early intervention in schools is vital in order to reach impressionable youngsters and deter them from making poor choices which could ruin their lives before theyve really begun.
West Midlands Police and partners celebrated their successes in helping to turn around criminals lives at a showcase event in Wolverhampton last week.
Fifteen ex-offenders, who have used the partnership service to turn their lives around, were presented with an award and spoke about their experiences to representatives from West Midlands Police, probation service, local authority, youth services and local councillors, along with other partners and voluntary.
Gavin Cotterill, 27, from Bilston, was one of the ex-offenders to receive an award.
Gavin began offending at the age of 17. He stole from cars and shops and regularly burgled houses to feed his drug addiction. After almost a decade of offending he was referred to the police and partnership scheme which works together to divert and support offenders.
With help and support from police and partners he received rehabilitation for his addiction and is now clean from drugs. He has finally begun to piece his
life back together and has stopped offending. His story, along with three others, was told during the event at the Molineux Stadium.
Sergeant Andy McHugh, from the offender management unit at Wolverhampton police station, said the event was held to demonstrate the strong partnership working in Wolverhampton.
Gavin came to us just under a year ago; he was very suspicious of the ser