Education, Children and Families Convenor James Dalgleish welcomes an anti-knife crime initiative to the city
This week sees an unusual – but vitally important – visitor to Leith.
Knife Angel has been installed at Kirkgate, a huge 27ft statue constructed with 100,000 knives and bladed weapons that have been confiscated by police forces from all over the UK. Raising the important topic of knife violence within young people, the statue was brought to the town with the help of Leith mum Lisa Petrie.
Lisa lost her 22-year-old son John to knife violence last year and since has tirelessly campaigned to make young people aware of the dangers of carrying a knife. Through her grief she is bravely doing all she can to make young people aware of the dangers of knife crime.
Knife Angel will be in Leith for one month and I hope it creates thought provoking conversations and encourages parents to talk to their children about the dangers of carrying a blade and what the repercussions can be.
The installation is part of a month-long anti-knife crime campaign aimed at children, young people and the wider community.
The Council funded 500 high school pupils to attend Code at the Fringe, a gritty physical theatre piece centred on knife crime and country lines and the realities of getting involved with gangs. Using rap, parkour and BMX stunts, the show received rave reviews and pupils tell me it raised important discussions with peers and teachers.
Theatre production company Strange Town have been funded, with support from Forth Ports, to take Balinsong to high schools across Edinburgh. The theatre performance centres on knife crime and how a split-second decision can have devastating impact on a young person’s life. Thousands of pupils will see the show which is hard-hitting and previous audiences have agreed the messaging lives on long after the curtain falls.
For younger pupils, 92 pupils submitted artwork centred on the theme of safety with the art being turned into a mosaic that covers an entire Lothian Buses bus. Pupils were asked how young people can help make Edinburgh safer and I was blown away with some of the suggestions and the creativity of the young people. The bus was launched last week and I have already spied it travelling down Princes Street – it is certainly eye catching and was a good way to involve younger children in the anti-violence campaign in an age-appropriate way.
Working with partner agencies, I was shocked to learn that carrying a knife makes you over 40 per cent more likely to be a victim of knife crime. While knife carrying and violence is decreasing in our society it is clear that we need to continue to do all we can to continue this downward trend. Every life lost to knife crime is a tragedy and I would urge young people, teachers and parents to use this initiative as a talking point and make sure they know the dangers of carrying a bladed weapon.