Bristol demands action on knife crime
A number of organisations are joining forces to help tackle the problem
Last updated 6th Mar 2024
Several organisations, community leaders and campaigners and joining forces to demand more action on knife crime.
In an open letter published this morning Bristol Live, Bristol 24/7, Bristol World, the Bristol Cable and others say the city is coming together united, to say "enough is enough".
"Over just 18 days at the end of January and the start of February, three teenagers in the city have lost their lives," the letter reads.
"Mason Rist, 15, and Max Dixon, 16, died after being attacked in Knowle West on January 27.
"Darrian Williams,16, was attacked in Rawnsley Park in Easton on February 14 and later died.
"There have been other incidents and all this comes after 2023, a year in which there was an incident involving a knife on average more than once a week."
The letter goes on to call knife crime a "public health issue" and claims it has been made worse by cuts to public services.
It sets out a six point plan to help deal with the issue as follows:
- Set up a task force - "We will develop a community-driven task force to meet and discuss the issue, how best to tackle it and how we can make a real difference with those in power," it says.
- Getting knives off the street - The group says it will work with campaigners to raise awareness of initiatives designed to get knives off the streets.
- Social Media - The group will look at the Online Safety Bill and see if it goes far enough where it comes to harmful knife-related content on social media and how easy it is for children to see.
- Raise awareness - The group will work together to raise awareness of how knife crime is linked to youth poverty, education, employment, social exclusion and "the collapse" in youth services.
- Lobby the government - The group says it will cover the issue in the context of an upcoming General Election, using findings from the taskforce and reporting to lobby for change
- Hold power to account - The group says it will "scrutinise" and hold Avon and Somerset Police and Bristol City Council to account, on their plans to make Bristol safer.
"Of course, we don’t have all the answers," the letter reads.
"This campaign will be a moving thing that will develop as time passes.
"But the key message is, we must see change in the city."
Its publication comes just two days after Greatest Hits Radio revealed knife crime homicides across Avon and Somerset were up 160 per cent in 2023, compared to the year before.
Then, on Tuesday, we shared an insight of what it is like to live in the middle of a knife crime hotspot.
If you would like to read the letter in full, you can do so below.
The letter
Today we come together as a city united to say enough is enough. We must see an end to the scourge of knife crime that has hit the city in recent weeks, months and years.
Knife crime has a devastating effect on the communities it impacts. And never has this been more clear than what’s happened so far in Bristol in 2024.
Over just 18 days at the end of January and the start of February, three teenagers in the city have lost their lives.
Mason Rist, 15, and Max Dixon, 16, died after being attacked in Knowle West on January 27. Darrian Williams,16, was attacked in Rawnsley Park in Easton on February 14 and later died.
There have been other incidents and all this comes after 2023, a year in which there was an incident involving a knife on average more than once a week.
Four lives were lost - Eddie King Muthemba Kinuthia, Paul Wagland, Mikey Roynon and Hubert 'Isaac' Brown.
Knife crime is a public health issue, worsened by cuts that have decimated vital services and youth provision, hitting some of the poorest communities hardest.
We know there is no magic way to make this problem go away, but we - the city’s media, community leaders, campaigners and more - have joined forces with the following six-point plan:
Set up a task force - We will develop a community-driven task force to meet and discuss the issue, how best to tackle it and how we can make a real difference with those in power.
Getting knives off the street - We will work with the campaigners to raise awareness of initiatives designed to get knives off the streets.
Social media - We will look at the Online Safety Bill and see if it goes far enough where it comes to harmful knife-related content on social media and how easy it is for children to see.
Raise awareness - We will work together to raise the awareness of how knife crime is linked to poverty, education, employment, social exclusion and the collapse in youth services
Lobby the government -We will cover the issue in the context of the General Election, using our findings from the taskforce and our reporting to lobby for change
Hold power to account - We will scrutinise and hold Avon and Somerset Police and Bristol City Council to account on their plans and models to make Bristol safer
Of course, we don’t have all the answers. This campaign will be a moving thing that will develop as time passes. But the key message is, we must see change in the city.
The best way of giving ourselves a chance of making that happen is by working together.
If you would like to take part in this campaign, then we want to hear from you.