Police and schools in Braintree come together to spread anti-knife message
Schools across the Braintree district have come together with their pupils to say no to carrying knives
Officers from the Braintree Neighbourhood Policing Team visited Tabor Academy in the town to reinforce the message that carrying knives can lead to devastation for everyone involved.
Officers operated safety arches at the start of the school day, with more than 950 students walking through before having their bags searched with security wands by teachers.
No weapons were found, which is the whole point, says Sergeant Kevin Mayle.
“We take knife crime seriously and we know that education at an early age is vital to getting the message across about the harm carrying a knife can cause.
“People will say they have one for protection but it’s frequently the person with the knife who ends up getting injured or even worse.
“And we don’t want that for our school students here. Or, indeed, for anyone.”
The team worked with the district’s Behaviour and Attendance Panel and all secondary schools in the district have signed up to a series of planned but unpredictable visits throughout the school year.
“The use of safety arches sends a message that knife crime is being taken seriously – police are looking, schools are looking and it’s a top priority for all of us,” says Kevin.
“It’s all about student safety, as well as that of their teachers and visitors. We are not saying a particular school has a problem. They don’t and we want to keep it that way.”
Schools are holding assemblies on knife crime and its consequences while letters have been sent to all parents explaining that police and the schools are working together to protect students and ensure they can learn in a safe environment.
Tabor Academy head teacher Kelly Brown says that, naturally, in a school setting, education plays a key role.
She said the deployment of safety arches had been ‘great’ and was being combined with assemblies in which students learn what happens when someone is stabbed.
“It’s not just about what happens to that young person, but to their family and it’s about the ramifications for everybody involved – the friends, the teachers, the doctors, the police officers, everybody who is involved in that attack – and also how you have to rebuild as a community,” says Ms Brown.
“We look at the reasons why someone may pick up a knife, what would happen if you ever got asked to do that and who you need to speak to.
“Our job as teachers is to be there to protect and look after our children and to work with our police and other agencies to stop any of our children and their families facing such tragedy.
“This is not just about Tabor, this is about the safety of our community.”
Ms Brown adds that it’s about educating young people as to their moral responsibility not to carry knives.
“I know my students don’t carry knives and I want that to continue by ensuring that external pressures which may cause children to pick up weapons – such as County Lines gangs – don’t enter our school.
“So I’m very comfortable with these safety checks.”