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I wanted to provide you with an update regarding Knife Crime, which people around your area have highlighted as an issue of concern on the priority survey. 🔪 Knife Crime & Child Exploitation – A Community Warning 🔪
We want to raise awareness across Shifnal and Albrighton parishes about the risks of knife crime and the exploitation of young people, including children of primary and secondary school age.
Criminals may target vulnerable children and teenagers, grooming them to carry knives or weapons on their behalf. This can happen gradually and may involve:
Pressure from older youths or adults
Promises of belonging, protection, money, or gifts
Threats, intimidation, or fear of repercussions
Children asked to carry knives are being put at serious risk of harm, arrest, or long‑term consequences — often without fully understanding the danger they are in.
🚨 Warning signs to look out for include:
Sudden changes in behaviour, mood, or friendships
Carrying items they can’t explain or hiding possessions
Increased secrecy, fear, or reluctance to talk about where they’ve been
Unexplained money, gifts, or new phones
👨‍👩‍👧 What can you do?
Talk openly with children about peer pressure and staying safe
Reassure them that asking for help will not get them into trouble
Report concerns early — safeguarding is about protection, not punishment
đź“ž If you are worried about a child:
In an emergency, call 999
To pass on information or seek advice, contact police on 101
You can also report concerns anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
By staying alert and working together as a community, we can help protect our young people, prevent harm, and keep Shifnal and Albrighton safe.
If you’re unsure whether something is a concern — trust your instincts and speak to us. 💙👮‍♂️
 Knife crime can destroy lives and fracture communities and disproportionately blights the lives of the young and disadvantaged. Incidents have risen in recent years and tackling knife crime is one of policing’s top priorities. Knife crime – a problem solving guide has been produced in collaboration with the National Police Chiefs' Council and through consultation with 24 police forces and violence reduction units in England and Wales. Using a problem-solving approach to tackling the issue, the guide contains: - broad approaches that are effective in tackling knife crime, including good practice from across the UK.
- a practical toolkit of tactics to use, such as interventions in schools, weapon sweeps and focused deterrence
- advice on how to use data to tailor a response to local problems.
If you ever experience this issue or have information regarding an incident, please report it using our online reporting tools at https://www.westmercia.police.uk, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat or call the non-emergency number 101. Alternatively, you can stay 100 per cent anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org Get Involved Please consider getting involved by registering for these messages, this will enable you to contribute to the local priority survey. We may be unaware of issues that you would like us to focus on. Take a few minutes to securely and privately register and have your say using the button below, this will mean we can focus on things that matter to you. 
Please click here to complete the survey
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