Milton Keynes: Knife crime conference hears from bereaved parents

The parents of a teenager who was stabbed to death have shared their story at a police conference on knife crime.

Amanda and Stuart Stephens praised the work of Thames Valley Police in the aftermath of their 13-year-old son Olly's murder in January 2021.

The force is the first in the country to use a "hotspots" app to target police resources in specific areas.

"Knife crime is never going to go away," Mr Stephens told the BBC.

The conference in Milton Keynes, organised by the force's Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber, discussed the work being done by police officers and called on the local community to take action too.

It also heard from Milton Keynes College students who created a drama performance after researching knife crime.

Mrs Stephens said the murder of her "amazing, larger than life" son could have been prevented because of "red flags" raised around the behaviour of the boy who killed him.

"One of the things we have learned is that children get lost in the system which is there to protect them," Mr Stephens added.

"Change is very difficult but the systems have to change to protect our children. They are getting more violent and younger because of peer pressures and social media."

The couple, who have worked on an online safety bill and internal training with Thames Valley Police, are calling for a "red flag safety system" where a child who is harmful to themselves and others is identifiable to agencies that can intervene.

Ch Insp Jade Hewitt said reducing knife crime was the force's "highest priority".

Four Section 60 orders - which involve police stop and search powers - have been in place in the city in June so far.

"We are seeing an increased number of police officers engaging with the community, talking about what they need - and dealing with that small proportion of people that actually carry knives," she said.

"Stop and search power is very effective, but we need to make sure we are using it in the correct way. Section 60s also allow us to target those people who carry knives habitually.

"We need the communities to tell us if they are worried about family or friends that might consider carrying knives. We need to make sure that those children understand the consequences."

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