A local knife crime activist has spoken out alongside the council about violent crime in the county, ahead of the second anniversary of the Knife Angel's visit. The 27-foot statue, made from 100,000 knives, came to Northampton in May 2022.
Spoken word artist and anti-knife crime advocate Quinton Green has impressed the need for a county-wide approach to tackling violent crimes and engaging with young people. In March this year, Northamptonshire welcomed a new violence strategy aimed at under 25s in partnership with a host of community groups.
Ongoing projects such as the Community Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV) and future projects looking to promote youth ambassadors are also integral to the county's approach.
Quinton said: "The Knife Angel was something I think the town needed to open the dialogue by engaging some of the children. It needs to have a county-wide approach to it at all levels and all backgrounds.
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"It's not about scaremongering- you’re dispelling myths because a lot of young people pick up knives out of fear. When young people see those challenges and issues we want to be there to offer them those key reassurances."
MMAP Workshops (Music, Mentoring Arts & Poetry), founded by Quinton, specialises in encouraging self-awareness, motivation and empathy in young people and raises awareness of child criminal exploitation.
He said: "It’s a place for them just to be them and get involved in activities. When you’ve got aspirations, when you’ve got ambition, when you can visualise your future that’s when you begin to make progress.
"Poetry saved my life I think. If that can save me then it can save young people as well. Not necessarily poetry, but finding your north star.
"That is something we don’t see in left behind areas, preparing them for that sense of opportunity and preparing them for that ‘I can’."
A 'halo effect' for the community
A church service and vigil will be held at All Saints Church in Northampton, on May 17, to mark the Knife Angel visit and remember those who have died through knife crime and serious violence.
Cabinet member for communities,Cllr David Smith, said that creating a legacy for the event was crucial in continuing the conversations surrounding knife crime. He likened the vigil to a "halo effect" coming from the original visit.
He added: "Knife crime and violent crime- it’s for mums and dads, aunties and uncles, brothers and sisters etcetera to talk about it.It’s society’s problem, not children’s problem which is sad because it’s children that are being affected massively.
"It’s quite an unsavoury thing to talk about over breakfast or lunch or dinner, but actually it’s really important.It’s just having it in conversation.
"If you mark it every year then you’re never more than 12 months from thinking about the visit of the Knife Angel."
Speakers at the event will include Cheri Curran, the mother of Louis-Ryan Menezes who was fatally stabbed in Northampton in 2018, and Detective Superintendent Andy Glenn, the force lead for Serious Violence.
Quinton Green will also perform a spoken word tribute ‘Where The Angels Walk’ at the event.
He added: "The important thing is remembering and working with all those families. They all share one thing and that is they don’t want their young person, their child, to be forgotten.
"They want their legacy to live on and they don’t want any other families to go through the same hurt, the same pain, the same despair."
