Police aim to educate about knife crime

The move comes after one person died and several others were injured following a recent rise in knife attacks in the town.

On Thursday, March 22, Azaan Kaleem, 18, was stabbed in an incident in Hartsfield Road, Luton, and died from his injuries on Saturday, March 24. Five teenagers have been charged with murder and have appeared at Luton Magistrates’ Court where they were remanded in custody.

In a separate incident, one week after the 18-year-old was attacked, another man was stabbed near a block of flats in St Saviour’s Crescent, off Russell Street in Luton. He remains in a critical condition.

Luton Community Policing team arrested two men for possession of an offensive weapon on Monday afternoon. The team posted on Twitter, @LutonCPT: “2 males arrested for possession of offensive weapon and another knife recovered in #HockwellRing this afternoon.”

Superintendent Juliette Everett, the force’s lead for knife crime, said: “Knife crime is increasing nationally, and we have seen an increase in knife related incidents in Bedfordshire.

“This is an issue that is a priority for the force, and we continue to take a number of steps to tackle this increase.

“Although enforcement activity does play a key role in our approach, educating young people and working with them from an early age is key.

“We have a dedicated Schools Liaison Team who work closely with educational establishments across the county and deliver sessions to students on a number of topics, including the dangers or carrying a knife and the consequences of doing so.

“This work is part of a long-term approach to tackling knife crime, and we’ll continue to work with young people to show them that they do have a choice, and they don’t have to carry a knife.”

In February, Bedfordshire Police launched a week-long initiative, Operation Sceptre, in an attempt to clamp down on knife crime, officers emptied weapon bins across the county and recovered ten guns and hundreds of knives.