WILTSHIRE’S Police and Crime Commissioner has pledged to do more to prevent knife crime and ensure more officers are out and about on the frontline.

Philip Wilkinson spoke to the Adver at the scene of a fatal stabbing in Haydon End, where 18-year-old Owen Dunn lost his life.

Mr Wilkinson expressed his sympathy to Owen’s family and friends, and explained how understanding why some people feel the need to carry bladed weapons will help prevent such horrific attacks happening again.

He said: “What is the behavioural drive and social conditions that cause young people to think this is a clever, tough thing, and feel it necessary to behave this way?

“Is it driven by financial reasons because they’re making money from selling drugs, or just bravado and keeping up with your mates?

“We really don’t know. That worries me and that’s what we have to get involved in – not just the police but the council and all the other very worthwhile charities and organisations.

“We need to get into the educational space to increase our preventative capability more than we are so that this does not happen again.

"The force and my office are working with schools and councils to create an education and engagement package to support what our Neighbourhood Policing Team already does.

"We need parents to step up and be wise, open to what their children may be doing, and what weapons they may be carrying.

“Young people, especially teenagers, need to feel safe and it needs to be reinforced at every level that carrying knives isn’t the answer to the issues they are facing.”

Wiltshire Police annually carries out the knife crime awareness campaign Operation Sceptre to crack down on those who carry knives and spread the word about why it’s so dangerous – but is that message getting through?

Mr Wilkinson added: “The message is going to get through to a degree, but I know that the young people I see around here and generally will take their own messages.

“I’m sure Sceptre has had a beneficial effect but it is never, of itself, going to deliver the complete answer.

“So, we need a multi-faceted multi-agency response to prevent and address the symptoms and consequences of knife crime, which are horrendous.

"All powers at the police’s disposal are being fully considered and I would expect to see an increased use of Stop and Search powers to target these vile individuals who carry a knife to intimidate and harm.

"I want to provide reassurance that Wiltshire Police acted swiftly in arresting the suspects in this case and are doing their utmost to prevent a further occurrence of this senseless violence."

One of the PCC’s priorities is working with the chief constable to push more resources from headquarters operations to the frontline.

He added: “I think the police in Swindon are doing a fantastic job but I worry that we might not have the balance right. We need every asset forward to where it can have the best effect – here on the ground.

“I have impressed upon [the chief constable] the need to reinforce his neighbourhood policing teams.

"Greater police visibility and the increase in frontline officers will start to have effect as more come through the training system.

“Our intelligence tells us [knife crime] is popping up all over the place but not for long periods. We need to improve our intelligence capabilities so we can protect the citizens of Swindon better than perhaps we have been.

“But I have absolute confidence in the local police – it’s just about giving them more and better resources to do what they know they need to do.”