As a mother, the thought of kids carrying knives terrifies me. It makes me shiver. It just doesn’t bear thinking about.
When I was first asked to work on this, I tried so hard to put myself into the shoes of those affected by knife crime – turns out, it’s not just the victim. It’s the perpetrators, family and friends of the victim, communities, and emergency services too.
Knife crime is a society-wide problem. Figures from the Office of National Statistics show Northumbria Police recorded nearly 1,000 offences involving a knife or sharp object in the year to March 2022, a 7% increase on the previous year. This campaign, which was commissioned by the Police Commissioner, Kim McGuiness (now North East Mayor) and the region’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), aimed to raise awareness of the risks of carrying and to highlight the consequences without using stark, shocking or violent imagery. Everything wanted to engage young people in a deep and meaningful way in order to engender accountability, social conscience, empathy and compassion. This was about educating them and pointing them in the direction of support and advice in order to foster collective behaviour change.
It was paramount we portrayed lived experience and immersed ourselves in the language of young people, not only to sound authentic but also to amplify their voice back to them. I pushed for the use of text speak and swearing because let’s face it, it had to feel real and these kids had to relate.
Above all, I hoped my words would make an impact for all the right reasons. The Prolific North Awards are a celebration of North East creative talent and it’s incredibly gratifying to see this creative team get recognition, especially given the sensitive nature of the subject and our goal to raise awareness.
“If messages like this hit the right audience, it’s going to help a few more people. That instant millisecond can change your life and everybody else’s life around you forever. You can’t go back, there’s no rewind button.”
Simon Brown who lost his 18-year-old son, Connor after he was attacked after stepping in to defend others.
“It’s a great campaign and can only be a positive one. It’s one that’s come from young people themselves. As soon as I saw the message on the bus – “I miss you” – it made me feel very emotional. Because that is a message I feel every day – “I miss you” – but I can never get a reply from that message.”
Alison Madgin lost her 18-year-old daughter, Samantha when she was stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack.
“I hope this campaign will make people realise the potential consequences of carrying a knife or weapon – not only could it take away someone else’s future and cause untold pain to their loved ones, but also ruin your own life and those of your family and friends.”
Chief Superintendent, Helena Barron, Northumbria Police
“This is outstanding news! Huge congratulations. Very, very well done!”
Kim McGuiness, North East Mayor