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Police launch Preston knife amnesty as community group plans knife crime education campaign

Posted on - 26th August, 2014 - 9:29pm | Author - | Posted in - Crime, Deepdale, Lancashire Police, Preston News
Flowers and tributes left to Jonjo

Flowers and tributes left to Jonjo

A community group has called for gangs in Preston to lay down their knives in the wake of the death of Jonjo Highton.

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The Deepdale teenager was killed on Saturday on St Stephen’s Road and seven men are being held on suspicion of murder.

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Lancashire Police say a post-mortem showed Jonjo had been killed by a stab wound to the neck, among other wounds to his body.

The Stop Knife Crime in Preston project, run by the Reformed For Life Community Interest Company, wants to educate young people about the dangers of carrying a knife.

Ikram Patel, director, said they wanted to run a number of workshops and focus on stopping re-offending.

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He said: “We are fundraising with this campaign for this programme to start soon as possible to prevent further knife crimes in Deepdale and Preston.

“The Programme we are campaigning to raise funds for is ‘Project – Stop Knife Crime in Preston’ it will include workshops, outreach work, mentoring programmes, school talks, motivational speaking services, boxing and fitness programmes to help reduce street gang violence.

“The programme will detail real life incidents involving older teenagers where somebody is stabbed by their own knife. It will show the consequences of the attacker’s actions and the emotional effects on their own family.”

Preston rapper Boney Black is joining with the campaign to sing a song about knife crime.

They also want to set up knife banks across the city.

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Lancashire Police have also urged anyone who has a knife to hand it in at a police station.

Amnesty bins are being placed at ten police stations in the county, including Preston.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Bates said: “We do not have a massive problem with knife crime, but a knife is a lethal weapon and even one on Lancashire’s streets is one too many.”

The knife amnesty is funded through the proceeds of crime act, using money seized from criminals.

Police and crime commissioner Clive Grunshaw said: “No-one should live in fear of knives being used in their community, and I hope anyone in possession of an offensive weapon will use this opportunity to protect both themselves and those around them, by handing it in.”

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