Commissioner welcomes plans to prevent children from carrying knives
Plans to prevent children from carrying knives by better understanding the root causes of their behaviour have been welcomed by Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden.
New government guidance has made it mandatory for children caught in possession of knives to be given intervention plans that unpick the underlying reasons for their behaviour, while also considering safeguarding concerns, as part of a “child-centred” approach to preventing reoffending.
It sees them given tailored support to deal with the issues that led them to carrying a knife, such as exploitation, experience of trauma or mental health issues.
The approach also recognises that there may be teachable moments that mean they can be supported away from future involvement in crime.
PCC Godden said: “I always find it really upsetting when I hear about children and young people becoming involved in knife crime, because I’m acutely aware that in many cases, these are children who have been led down the wrong path at a time in their lives when they have become extremely vulnerable.
“Unfortunately, organised criminals target and exploit children who have faced extreme difficulties in their lives and may not have had access to the right kind of support when they needed it most.
“Having mandatory intervention plans for children caught with knives ensures police and other agencies don’t just deal with the problem, but must also deal with the root causes, by working together to better understand how the child got to that stage and giving them the much-needed support to take a different path.
“In Nottinghamshire, our Violence Reduction Partnership has been embodying the child-centred approach to tackling serious violence for a number of years and I see this direction from the Government as strengthening that resolve to offer earlier intervention.”
The guidance, issued jointly by the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, is aimed at supporting police, Youth Justice Services and other agencies dealing with children caught in possession of a knife.