Press Release: GLMCC Anti-Knife Crime Campaign Results in Knives Being Surrendered
26 September 2019
PRESS RELEASE
GLMCC Anti-Knife Crime Campaign Results in Knives Being Surrendered
Knife crime now seems to be at epidemic levels across the UK. It was only in February of this year that Abdullah Muhammad was stabbed near Green Lane Mosque at Sara Park in Small Heath. Abdullah Muhammad was a student at Green Lane Mosque & Community Centre (GLMCC) where he had registered in January 2019 with his younger brother and father to attend evening classes in GLMCC’s educational institute.
On Wednesday 25th September, with the help of Bishop (elect) Dr. Desmond Jadoo, our knife bank was emptied with a staggering 80 weapons being uncovered, consisting of knives, scissors and even a bullet. Our last set of statistics from West Midlands Police (for 2016 and 2017 combined) showed that the Green Lane Knife bin was previously one of the lowest for the number of deposited knives in the region for the period (7 knives), compared to other areas like High Street in West Bromwich with 71 knives over the same period.
With the recent spike in knife crime, GLMCC has been working with West Midlands Police and other community organisations to help tackle the escalating problem. Over the past year, GLMCC has deployed joint Streetwatch patrols along with West Midlands Police and ran an anti-knife crime campaign to highlight the sanctity of life and the harms of carrying knives to deter the youth and others from carrying weapons.
For over five years we have had a Knife bin positioned in our car park on Little Green Lane, to allow people to surrender their weapons anonymously and safely 24 hours a day. Since the launch of the knife bank numerous knives have been taken off the streets of Birmingham. In 2017 two guns along with ammunition were emptied from our knifebank.
In recent months GLMCC has been running a billboard campaign to highlight the knife bank and to encourage people to drop their knives.
Humayun Saleem, the Project Lead for the anti-knife crime campaign commented:
“This is an incredible increase in weapons being surrendered. It’s reassuring to see that our knife bin and campaign are having a real impact and we have helped to remove these potential weapons from the streets of Birmingham.”
(If you’ve been affected by such crime and need emotional support, please call your local victim care team in the West Midlands on 0300 303 1977 or the Victim Support line on 0808 16 89 111.)
END
Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre
20 Green Lane
Birmingham, B9 5DB
Tel: 0121 713 0080
Email: info@www.greenlanemasjid.org
