Guns and Knives Take Lives – Five years on

A team of armed officers from South Yorkshire Police delivered the message that Guns and Knives Take Lives to over 100 colleagues from South Yorkshire's Youth Offending Services during a specially organised event at the Magna Centre, Rotherham on Monday 22 February.

The Youth Offending Services staff received a hard-hitting presentation from the armed officers usually delivered to 14-year olds in the county's secondary schools.

Inspector Rachel Usher said, "The Guns and Knives Take Lives initiative, now in its fifth year, continues to grow. It is pleasing to see so many here today from Youth Offending Services who have daily contact with troubled youngsters and those at greater risk of becoming involved with gun and knife crime".

Nicole Harwood from Sheffield City Council's Integrated Youth Support Service added, "All the presentations were hard hitting and moving. It is the responsibility of everyone here to pass the message on to the young people we work with day in day out. All the agencies present, including the armed officers from South Yorkshire Police, do outstanding work in our schools but it is the Youth Offending Services who see young people everyday that are not involved in mainstream education. These youngsters need to be made aware of the real dangers of getting involved with guns and knives. By providing them with accurate information they can make informed decisions about the risks that they face".