SOUTH Yorkshire Police have today launched a new campaign to tackle knife crime.
Knives Take Lives aims to make teenage boys think twice about carrying a knife.
A police spokesperson said: “Research shows boys in their teens who carry knives do so for their own perceived protection, or for social status among their friends. Today we are asking them: ‘Will carrying a knife really protect you – or will it destroy your life?’
“Here in South Yorkshire, we have unfortunately seen first-hand the devastating impact knife crime can bring to families, friends and our local communities.”
Ther region is the fourth highest in the country for knife crime offences, both by volume and rate per 100,000 population. In 2024, five people in the county tragically lost their lives as a result of being stabbed.
Deputy Chief Constable Sarah Poolman said: “There can be a perception among some members of our communities, particularly some younger teens, that many of their peers are carrying a knife. This builds fear and leads them to believe they must carry too, to protect themselves.
“In reality, 99.75 per cent of people in South Yorkshire don’t carry a knife, and sadly we know all too well that carrying a knife in fact puts you in further danger.
“This is what Knives Take Lives aims to address. Through this movement we are reaching out to younger boys, and the influential people in their lives including parents and teachers, in a bid to stop them from picking up a knife in the first place.
"Fewer knives on our streets reduces the risk of another local family grieving the loss of a loved one, and another young person destroying their own future and ending up behind bars. Let’s work together to make this crucial change.”
Knives Take Lives is based on a real-life fatal stabbing in South Yorkshire committed by a teenager.
The story was written by DC Thomas Ryan, a detective constable in our Major Crime Unit, who investigated the original case. After witnessing the devastation caused by this and several other cases involving knives, DC Ryan felt he had to do something and take a stand.
