Police can't tackle knife crime alone, warns new Peterborough and Fenland chief
It comes after a 16-year-old boy was fatally stabbed last month
The new area commander for Peterborough and Fenland says police can't do it alone if they are to keep people safe from knife crime.
It comes after 16-year-old Baye Bireme Fall was fatally stabbed near the Ortongate Shopping Centre in Orton Goldhay on April 12.
Police were called to just before 7pm, and Baye died in hospital just before 9.30pm that evening.
"I think people feel broadly safe, I accept though people are going to feel less safe because of those events and I encourage them to talk to us to understand how they feel because that might influence how we respond," Superintendent Olly Warsop said.
"We do have to work with people in education, local government, to try and get to the root causes for why young people think they have to carry a knife or why they feel unsafe; that has to be the ultimate aim."
Family 'shattered' by stabbing
Dozens of floral tributes have been laid on a grass area opposite Ortongate Shopping Centre in memory of Baye - known to friends as BB - which has also been covered with balloons, flowers and messages from those who knew him.
After his death, hundreds of mourners gathered for Baye outside the shopping centre last month as part of a peaceful march calling for an end to knife crime.
In a tribute, Baye's family said "we are completely shattered and may never recover from the passing away of our son whose life was tragically cut short.
“Baye was an amazing boy and son whose heart is pure and kind towards other people."
An inquest held into Baye's death heard he died after being stabbed in the chest and abdomen.
Two teenagers - Emidas Krutkevicius, 18, of Peterborough and a 15-year-old boy who cannot be identified for legal reasons - are due to enter a plea after being charged with Baye's murder.
Police must be 'ambitious'
Supt Warsop - who has been a police officer for 20 years - takes over from Ben Martin and was also part of the local armed policing unit.
Mr Warsop also served as the head of armed policing for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.
He believes preventing knife crime will not be a short-term fix.
"We do have to be ambitious, work with communities, understand the issues they've got and be fairly robust in our response, but it is challenging," he said.
"It will take us a long time as a partnership with the public to do what we need to do, but we have to keep trying."
Last May, 98 knives or other weapons were handed into Cambridgeshire Police as part of an amnesty to tackle knife crime, compared to November 2024 where a record 370 items were surrendered.
The force also took on an extra 220 hours of foot patrols in Peterborough, Cambridge and Wisbech during the amnesty, alongside knife sweeps and test purchasing with volunteer police cadets to ensure no knives were sold to under 18s.
Engaging with young people
A report by Darryl Preston - the county's police and crime commissioner - published for 2024-25 found there was a 17% rise in possession of weapon offences.
"I think we need to make sure we understand the issues with violent crime and knife crime, where it's most prevalent, at what times," Supt Warsop added.
"It does have to be a wider partnership as well; the police probably couldn't 'arrest our way' out of a problem.
"How we engage with young people can be challenging; I'd encourage people do speak to the police, even if they tell us how they feel, understanding how the public feel about things is really important."
A 27-foot knife angel monument, crafted from over 100,000 confiscated blades, is set to open on Palace Green opposite Ely Cathedral from May 20 to June 17.
The sculpture, created by Alfie Bradley, aims to act as a reminder of the human impact caused by knife crime.