|
BLUE
WATCH
A special Column for community and Police issues. |
|
'Carrying a knife. It's not a game
Building on the success of 'Knife City', the Met today (4/12/06) launches the next phase of it's anti-knife crime marketing campaign 'Carrying a knife. It's not a game' aimed at discouraging young people from carrying knives.
The marketing campaign uses a range of channels to target young people aged from 11-19. 'Knife City' a mock computer game demo, demonstrating the tragic personal circumstances and criminal consequences of carrying a knife will appear as a TV advertisement and online ad. Two new radio ads have been created to illustrate the serious consequences of carrying a knife, injury/death and arrest. Though young people carrying knives may think they are fashionable and carry for self-protection the long-term consequences are much more serious and damaging to themselves and those around them. These ads continue to use the gaming theme developed as part of last year's campaign and deliver serious messages against a backdrop of computer sound effects.
This marketing campaign follows successful operational activity and the Met's Operation Blunt long-term initiatives in tackling knife crime and making London safer. DAC Alf Hitchcock said: "This campaign is a continuation of the educational work conducted by Operation Blunt, and follows a three-week proactive initiative across all of London's 32 boroughs. The MPS is dedicated to tackling knife crime in the capital, and will take the appropriate action against anyone caught with a knife. At this time of year, young people will be on holiday from school and it is important that we remind them of the potentially fatal consequences of carrying a knife in public."
Reverend Nims Obunge, Chair of the Blunt IAG said: "Whenever we a hear of a death caused by knife crime there are scores of unreported incidents on the physical and psychological scars this crime leaves in local communities. Young people have suffered the trauma of being victims of this hideous crime and are also on the sharp end of offending. Todays, 'it's not a game' campaign is yet another initiative supported by the Metropolitan Police Operation Blunt Independent Advisory Group in our fight against young people carrying knives for whatsoever reason."
Operation Blunt was launched in November 2004 across 12 London boroughs, and is the Met's approach to tackling knife crime. We have seen a reduction in the number of knife-enabled offences in these areas following a range of initiatives, including educational programmes, knife surrenders and a positive charge strategy. As a result of this success, Operation Blunt was rolled out across all 32 boroughs in December 2005. This was the first time that every London borough had simultaneously targeted knife crime.
| _____________________________________________________________________________ |
IGNORE THIS HOAX EMAIL
PIN NUMBER REVERSAL
(GOOD TO KNOW)
This email has been going round for sometime and when Africanecho contacted the Metropolitan police to ascertain it’s authenticity we were told there is no truth in it. The email goes like this:
If you should ever be forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM machine, you can notify the police by entering your Pin # in reverse. For example if your pin number is 1234 then you would put in 4321. The ATM recognizes that your pin number is backwards from the ATM card you placed in the machine. The machine will still give you the money you requested, but unknown to the robber, the police will be immediately dispatched to help you.
This information was recently broadcasted on TV and it states that it is seldom used because people don't know it exists.
Don’t use it, it is not true.
| ____________________________________________________________________________ |
Witness appeal
City of London Police is appealing for witnesses after a 26-year old man died following an incident inside a City bar early this morning. The incident took place inside Shadans, a bar in New Bridge Street, at 1.30 am this morning (4 Dec 2006).
Police officers and door staff administered first aid to the victim at the scene. The man was taken to hospital but despite the best efforts of the hospital and paramedics the man subsequently died of his injuries.
Investigating officer, DCI Steve Chandler said: “We are keen talk to anyone who was in Shadans or the surrounding area this morning around 1.30am and may have witnessed the incident”
“At this stage, we believe this was an isolated attack. The City continues to have one of the lowest rates of violent crime and anti-social behaviour not just in London but the whole of the UK.” Anyone with any information they think may be of interest should contact City of London Police on 020 7601 2222.
Information can also be given to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 1111.
|
