Dudley Teenagers Campaign Against Knife Crime

12 April 2019, 06:20 | Updated: 12 April 2019, 06:24

Emerson Hanslip

A sixth former in the Black Country, working as a youth police and crime commissioner says as a young person, it's vital to tackle knife crime head on.

Emerson Hanslip is helping deliver workshops across schools and colleges in Dudley, hoping to teach peers about the dangers, including county lines.

Emerson, who attends Dudley Sixth Form, and Georgia Whitehouse, from King Edward VI College, are part of the 'Sharpen Minds Not Knives' campaign.

Knife crime has risen in the West Midlands by 85% since 2012, many of those incidents has involved young people.

Emerson and Georgia, who are the two elected Youth Commissioners for Dudley, are both sixth form students who have decided to put on these sessions in their spare time following a number of incidents in Dudley and the West Midlands involving knives.

The Police and Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson added: "Emerson and Georgia are doing outstanding work in their community which I am only too happy to support. As young people themselves, they are well placed to connect with other young people."