Knife Angel App relaunched for knife crime week of action
17 November 2022
The Knife Angel App has been relaunched this week to support Northamptonshire Police’s 'Operation Sceptre' knife crime week of action.
The Knife Angel statue, the National Symbol Against Violence and Aggression, visited Northampton earlier this year as part of its nationwide tour to highlight the issue of knife crime in the UK. The 27-feet-tall statue is made from over 100,000 knives and blades confiscated by the UK’s 43 police forces.
The App will feature new videos, downloadable pdfs and information for parents on how to look out for signs that their child is being drawn into gangs and carrying weapons, and how to recognise if they are a victim of grooming. There will also be links to partner websites such as Community Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV) and Fearless, where people can report information anonymously.
A link to a map of bleed control kit locations, produced by local anti-knife crime organisation Off the Streets, will also be available in the App. The bleed control kits can be used to provide emergency aid to treat patients injured in a serious violent crime and keep them alive until the emergency services arrive.
Knife amnesty bins will also be available around the county – currently in the North and coming soon to the West, where people can surrender weapons in a safe, legal way. Locations of these will be detailed within the app.
"As a council, we are involved in various partnership initiatives to build safer communities, and this includes the important issue of tackling knife crime.Cllr David Smith, West Northamptonshire Council's (WNC) Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Engagement
“We were extremely lucky to have the Knife Angel monument visit us in Northampton earlier this year and provide an opportunity to highlight the issues surrounding knife crime and other types of gang-related violence and aggression.
“I encourage everyone to download the app and share the resources available with anyone who may benefit. Together, we can tackle knife crime and violence, and continue to make our streets a safer place.”
Throughout the week of action, which starts on Monday, 14 November, police forces and local partners will coordinate activity looking to target the root causes of knife crime.
The augmented reality Knife Angel is still available to see at Northampton Museum until the end of November. Normal Museum opening hours apply and large groups/schools please book in the normal way through the museum booking page.
The Knife Angel App is available via the Explore Northampton App, which is free to download from the App Store and Google Play. Anyone who already has the app will need to refresh the App to view the new features. For more information and resources around knife crime and gangs, please visit the WNC website.