Crime Stoppers Victoria and Victoria Police are urging young people to cut the violence in a bid to reduce knife-related crime which can devastate families and leave communities reeling.
The ‘Cut the Violence’ campaign has been developed in consultation with secondary school students aged between 15-18 years to reinforce the risks and consequences for those carrying a knife.
To build the ‘Cut the Violence’ campaign, Crime Stoppers Victoria invited students from St Albans Secondary College to take part in consultations across an eight-week period, exploring topics including laws related to knife carrying, the perception of knife crime in the community, and the messaging that would resonate with them when it comes to reducing knife crime in their cohort.
During consultation, students recognised that fear, force, and control may be the main motives for those carrying an illegal knife. Working alongside the Crime Stoppers team, students co-created campaign messaging and concepts to encourage potential offenders to consider the dire consequences of picking up a knife.
Crime Stoppers Victoria chief executive Stella Smith said education played a vital role in stopping knife crime in the community.
“No parent or family member should ever have to receive a phone call to hear that their child or loved one has been stabbed,” she said.
“There is simply no excuse for carrying a knife illegally – and through this campaign we want to show the potential devastating consequences of knife crime.
“Carrying a knife as a weapon is illegal – it doesn’t make you tough or protect you, it only increases the chances of you spending time behind bars, being injured or dying.”
In May of this year, a 16-year-old Melton South teenager died after being stabbed in Sunshine.
Less than six weeks later, a 14-year-old Braybrook teenager was killed in June, after being hit by a car and knifed by two attackers in St Albans.
Victoria Police North West Metro Commander Michael Cruse said police will continue to target the carriage and use of knives and weapons in a number of different ways.
“Police, like the community, remain concerned about any form of violence on our streets. Any death or injury caused by a knife attack is sadly one too many and we have zero tolerance for those who think that carrying a knife in the community is acceptable.
“Police will continue to target the carriage and use of knives and weapons from all angles, including dedicated OMNI operations which enable us to detect weapons, protect community safety, and deter anyone who may think that carrying a weapon in the community is acceptable.”
“We are imploring those young people out there who feel the need to arm themselves with a knife to listen to the messages from those impacted by this – it’s simply not worth it and is not going to achieve anything other than destroying someone’s life.”
