Local Member of Parliament, Kate Kniveton, has today (26/07/23) taken part in a day of action and awareness on knife crime in Burton. Ms Kniveton joined Burton Albion Community Trust (BACT) and the fast-food chain McDonalds as part of a community engagement day in Station Street, highlighting the dangers of carrying a knife.
Advisors were on hand to provide information to passers-by, including tips on how to keep safe and why you shouldn’t carry a knife. As part of the event, visitors could also take part by wearing a Virtual Reality headset to understand further the dangers of carrying a knife and how to make good choices.
Later in the afternoon, the Burton MP hosted a joint meeting at her office in Burton, with Staffordshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Ben Adams, BACT’s Community Engagement Manager, Paul Gaskin, Founder of the Street Whyze project, Danny Mondesir, and Cllr Monica Holton (ESBC Eton ward).
The group discussed the progress that had been made as part of the MP’s multi-agency solution to knife crime locally, and also what more work there is still to do to tackle this issue. The local MP along with Staffordshire’s PFCC updated the group on the funding received from Government, including £202,000 for Burton to provide extra CCTV and streetlighting, and how it was being put to use locally to curb knife crime and the perception of crime.
Commenting, Kate Kniveton MP said:
“Today, I was pleased to join Burton Albion Community Trust, with the support of McDonalds, for their community engagement event on knife crime in Station Street. Outreach work like this is vital to improving awareness and educating on the dangers of carrying a knife.”
“Tackling the scourge of knife crime has been a top priority for me and I am pleased that community leaders have embraced the multi-agency solution that I have been championing. Following the public event, I was pleased to host a further roundtable meeting on this important issue and to discuss the progress we have already managed to achieve by taking a holistic approach.
“Working with Staffordshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Ben Adams, local schools, the councils and community groups, I will continue to ensure that we work together on ending the scourge of knife crime and deliver safer streets.”
