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School pupils across Kirklees are being educated about the risks of knife crime in their communities. West Yorkshire Police have pledged much more is to come after helping educate thousands
of children about the dangers of so-called County Lines drug dealing and knife crime in Kirklees. The Dewsbury and Mirfield Neighbourhood Policing Team is now looking to spread its Your
Choice, Your Life, Your Future programme across Kirklees after three PCSOs provided crime prevention advice to over 2,000 children in just five months. Starting in January, officers Annette
Still, Julie Buxton and Georgia Myers have now toured schools in Dewsbury and Mirfield and parts of Batley and Spen to speak with children about how to spot signs of County Lines crime, the
dangers of knife crime, and also vaping. The sessions have proved positive with schools, students and their parents and were celebrated at an event in Dewsbury Police Station last week.
Three Year 6 students, Abdullah from Headfield Church of England Junior School, and Ayesha and Polly from Crowlees Junior and Infant School, were all presented with awards for designing
posters which are being used to promote the initiative. The work was designed by the officers specifically for younger children aged 10 to 11 to help make them aware of and avoid crime and
exploitation which could possibly affect them as they get older. Health issues associated with vaping were also added to the programme at the request of some schools following concerns about
youngsters picking and trying discarded disposable vapes. The officers plan to have reached 2,500 students by the time the current sessions end, with plans already being made for them to
conduct more inputs across a wider area. Superintendent Warren Pitman of Kirklees District Police, said: “Your Choice, Your Life, Your Future has had a really positive impact in schools in
Dewsbury and Mirfield and some schools in Batley and Spen and I want to thank all involved for their hard work. "Annette, Julie and Georgia have all been very committed personally to
these inputs, often giving up their own time to make them happen, and their dedication to helping keep children in their communities safe is to be applauded. “Partners in schools have also
given fantastic support as have parents and, of course, the children who have taken part in these sessions. “Feedback at all levels has been fantastic and we really hope making children
aware of some of these dangers at a younger age will help empower them to avoid them as they get older. “We have seen that some of the students already have a real awareness of knife crime
from the news and have asked about offences they have read about. “Helping them understand that people carrying weapons only put themselves at greater risk of being victims of crime, and
encouraging them to deliver that message wider, is key in helping us reduce violent crime.” He added: “The Dewsbury and Mirfield NPT remain absolutely committed to the programme and we are
looking at how Annette, Julie and Georgia can continue it more widely across Kirklees District, to support our other crime prevention work.” _GET ALL THE LATEST AND BREAKING HUDDERSFIELD
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