Police chief vows to address rise in knife crime

10 hours ago

Sue Davies,BBC Radio Wiltshireand

Kirsten Robertson,Wiltshire

News image — Catherine Roper paid tribute to stabbing victim Shayne Hambakachere

BBC Woman with black hat and high-vis jacket. She is stood in a street smiling softly at the camera — Catherine Roper paid tribute to stabbing victim Shayne Hambakachere

The chief constable of a regional police force says "there is a lot more to do" to tackle rising knife crime.

Catherine Roper, who heads up Wiltshire Police, said she was "absolutely focused" on making sure young people are kept safe amid a "slight rise" in knife crime across the county.

It comes following the death of 16-year-old Shayne Hambakachere, who was found with stab wounds in Chippenham on 31 January. A 15-year-old boy has been charged with his murder.

Roper said while she understood "people are concerned" after seeing such "a tragic loss", her teams were "working really hard" to address knife-related offences.

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Describing how Shayne's death had left its mark on the town of Chippenham, Roper said: "I was at the Chippenham Area Board and the chair held a minute silence in remembrance of the tragic loss of Shayne.

"I think we all saw in Chippenham how the entire community came together to support everybody."

"All of my thoughts are with the family and friends of Shayne," she added.

Family handout Boy smiling softly in a black hoodie in an indoor setting — Shayne Hambakachere died from stab wounds in Chippenham in January

Anti-knife crime community groups and charities have been set up in the county in recent years in response to several high-profile fatal stabbings.

Working across Wiltshire, Swindon and Bristol, the family of Lee Turner, who was stabbed to death during a confrontation in 2021, founded ChangeLivesNoToKnives.

In October, an anti-knife crime summit was held by Owen's World, a community group formed after the death of 18-year-old Owen Dunn who was stabbed in Swindon in 2022.

The group has since campaigned across the town, including working with Swindon's New College to install an amnesty bin to collect anonymous donations of weapons.

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The chief constable said specialist teams were working in Wiltshire to combat knife crime and gather evidence, including specific work with young people who could be groomed or pressured to use violence via county lines or sexual exploitation.

"There are concerns across the county and we are working very hard... in terms of visibility, but also to make sure we are investigating crimes and holding people to account," she added.

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