Bereaved mother of Wolverhampton knife-crime victim asks: 'Why isn't it Sceptre Week every week?'

"That's very good that they're doing that, " says Pooja Kanda. "But why isn't it Sceptre Week every week?

Mrs Kanda, whose 16-year-old son Ronan was stabbed to death in a case of mistaken identity, says she relives that day every time she reads about a knife murder in the newspaper. She has accused the police of negligence, having arrested - and released - one of her son's killers, Prabjeet Veadhesa, a month before Ronan's murder. 

"It does take me back to the day, it's a painful experience over and over," she says. Those painful memories were stirred once more in January this year, with the death of 12-year-old Leo Ross close to his school in the Hall Green area of Birmingham. A 14-year-old boy has been charged with his murder.

Sceptre Week is part of a national campaign where forces across the country hold intensive operations to crack down on knife crime, while also holding events to make young people more aware about the dangers of knife crime.

In the West Midlands, officers focused on hot-spot areas, conducting 49 stop-and-searches, resulting in 43 arrests and 18 weapons taken off the street. Throughout the week, police officers also engaged with local communities and youth groups, educating young people and their parents about the consequences of carrying knives. 

Inspector Kate Jeffries, from the West Midlands Police Project Guardian taskforce, says such events bring awareness, education, and greater partnership.

“We have acted against those exploiting vulnerable young people and causing serious harm to others," she says. "Working with partners is key to our work to tackle knife crime, policing cannot do this alone."

Mrs Pooja, who played a leading role in the Express & Star's award-winning How Many More? campaign to cut knife crime in the West Midlands, is pleased that the police are taking the problem seriously, but wonders what happens once the spotlight of Sceptre Week is over.

"I always believe it's such a good thing to do, but they should do this more often," she says. "Why are they doing for one week, they should be doing it every day. It should be Sceptre Week every week."

On the positive side, recent figures show a six per cent drop in knife crime in the West Midlands compared to the previous year, with the region no longer holding the dubious record of being the worst-affected area in the country. In August a ban on so-called 'ninja swords' comes into force, the latest in a raft of new measures known as Ronan's Law, in honour of Mrs Kanda's son.

"I think progress is being made, but there is still so much more that needs to be done," she says. 

Ronan's Law will also place greater obligations on retailers, requiring them to report bulk or suspicious sales to police, as well as increasing the jail terms to two years for selling weapons to children, or illegal blades such as zombie knives.

However, a new survey suggests that young people themselves are far from convinced that the measures will work.

A survey of 1,030 people 16-24-year-olds found that 83 per cent were concerned about the levels of youth violence in the country, while 46 per cent said either they or someone they knew had been directly affected by the issue.

Furthermore, 83 per cent of those questioned said that, despite the new legislation, young people would still find alternative ways to buy weapons, while 72 per cent said the law focused on the symptoms rather than the causes of knife crime.

The research, conducted by Savanta on behalf of the Kiyan Prince Foundation, also found that 71 per cent of young people viewed knife crime as a societal issue as well as a criminal one, while 66 per cent believed too much emphasis is placed on the violence itself, rather than its root causes.

More than three quarters of those questioned called for greater investment in mental health services, sport and social clubs,  and a similar number said there needed to be greater employment opportunities.

In the forefront of the battle to win the hearts and minds of young people is Rebecca Bunger, a youth worker at The Way Youth Zone in Wolverhampton. She says the centre, which attracts 1,200 young people through its doors every week, works closely with West Midlands Police who hold sessions offering advice about everything from the dangers of carrying knives, to avoiding online scammers. The response is overwhelmingly positive, but there only so much that can be done.

"I would say we've had a very positive impact, but I wouldn't say that means they are not worried," she says.

"They are very aware of the risks in the city, they are very concerned about their safety."

Isn't part of the problem that organised youth activities tend to attract the better-behaved youngsters, who are less likely to be drawn into crime? Mrs Bunger acknowledges this, and says the centre responds by going out into the community and actively looking to meet with the type of disaffected youths who might be tempted to go astray.

"We have been going out into Whitmore Reans or other areas of the city, and chatting to young people," she says.

"The response has been really positive, we have even had a couple of people who have come down to The Way as a result, which is really good. 

"There will always be young people who won't come to this building for whatever reason, so it's really important that we go out to reach them."

Mrs Bunger passionately believes that such work can and does make a difference, but the problem is that there is not enough of it.

"We are by no means the only people in the city who are doing this kind of work," she says. "There are many organisations who are working very hard for the benefit of the city of Wolverhampton, there is the Wolves Foundation, the InPower Academy, all doing amazing stuff. 

"I do believe that good youth work does make a difference, and the evidence is there to support it. The problem is that compared to 10 years ago, there isn't so much of it about. Resources are spread much more thinly."