Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews has joined officers on the front line, tackling knife crime in the city, as part of a national campaign week. 

In support of Neighbourhood Policing Week of Action 2024, the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland PCC teamed up with local policing teams in West Leicester as they conducted knife checks with the aid of their new metal detecting kit, funded by the PCC through his support of the Safer Leicester Partnership.

The wands are used to detect knives and other weaponry hidden in undergrowth or bushes, where they can be accessed easily by those wishing to use them for criminal purposes. The wands have been proved successful having found a variety of knives and sharp bladed instruments over recent months.

The PCC's visit was part of packed programme of activity to shine a spotlight on the positive contribution made by the county's neighbourhood policing teams to mark Neighbourhood Policing Week of Action.

Earlier in the day, Deputy PCC Rani Mahal visited schools alongside staff from Leicester-based safeguarding charity Warning Zone and PCSO Danny Burton to see the work the Office has funded to keep young people away from harm.  

Neighbourhood Policing is the bedrock of the Commissioner's Police and Crime Plan, and the PCC is working closely with partners to tackle the local issues that matter most to residents.

Prevention is also a core focus, and through his collaborative work with the force and the Violence Reduction Network (VRN), he has supported a raft of educational projects and mentorship programmes designed to provide young people with the early help they need to make positive choices that protect them from violence or exploitation. 

This work recently saw Leicestershire Police flagged as a 'positive outlier' nationally for its proactive approach to reducing knife crime and serious violence after achieving a significant reduction in incidents in comparison with other areas according to the Home Office's Early Warning System (EWS).

Mr Matthews said: "I was pleased to join neighbourhood officers in West Leicester and experience first-hand the difficult job they do protecting our streets from knife crime and violence. 

"This equipment can potentially save lives and remove dangerous weapons off our streets. My budget has supported training for officers to use the metal detectors, as well as the detectors themselves, and I was impressed at how effectively police are using these skills. 

"Although we are successfully driving down knife crime and violence, as recently highlighted by the Home Office, every life lost is one too many. We will continue to work together to tackle these issues head-on, and that means balancing educational opportunities with the need for strong and robust enforcement like that I witnessed today.

"Our neighbourhood policing teams work tirelessly, 365 days a year, to keep local people safe. I am proud to support this national campaign which gives them the recognition they deserve."

Neighbourbood Policing Week of Action takes place between January 22 and 26 to highlight the vital work that neighbourhood officers, police community support officers (PCSOs) and volunteers do to protect the public and keep people safe.