An insight into Lincolnshire Police's immersive Knife Crime Education Centre

A new facility has opened in Lincolnshire's Sleaford Police Station, aimed at educating the county's youth about the dangers that carrying a knife can bring.

The 12 room immersive knife crime centre welcomes young people of all ages, from as young as 8 to as old as 25, is built around the national curriculum for the educational aspect, whilst also letting visitors learn through a more hands-on, interactive experience.

Primary aged children, kids aged between 8-11 learn work through knife crime problems in 'roll-play' way, whereby drama and becoming a character who goes through a story is a large part of the experience.

Whereas secondary school aged children, aged 12+, will have an experience that is closer to that of an escape room, where language, social media, and the reasons that a young person would carry a knife are all covered.

We have been speaking with Sgt Mel Stanbrook is the Education Sargent for Lincolnshire, and she told us about the positive impact the centre is having on the community.

"When you look at the MET knife crime data, out of 100 people who lost their lives, 2/3 of them where with their own knife"

"We only concentrate on the reasons why, and what young people are hearing and saying in their worlds which will make them change their decisions"

Sgt. Stanbrook also spoke on the importance of making knives generally harder to buy across the UK

"Think 25 has been a really successful thing for the purchase of alcohol and also weapons. I think these two factor authentication or the video identification can only be a positive move for society moving forward.

"Prevention is really key, we need to educate young people"

"We deliver lots of knife crime sessions to primary schools, and we deliver loads of knife crime sessions to secondary schools. I do hear comments like 'If you give a young person a preventative education around knife crime, then they're gonna go out and use a knife.' It absolutely is not that."

"Preventative education is about giving young people those tips to succeed and make the right decisions"

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