LABOUR’S Police and Crime Commissioner candidate for West Mercia visited Redditch Self-Defence on Saturday to learn more about the knife crime scheme.
Kuldip Sahota spoke with founder Pete Martin who has been teaching young people knife crime prevention for years.
Mr Sahota was taken on a tour of the Windsor Road gym and spoke to some of the group’s youngsters.
He said: “One of my main priorities is to provide funding for raising awareness of the dangers of knife crime and the effects it has on families.
“I will appoint a drug and knife crime ‘tsar’, to work with groups like Peter’s to educate young people on the dangers that face them by getting drawn in to gang violence.
“Peter has told me that just £1,000 could allow him to run his group for three months and I intend, if elected on May 6, to make sure West Mercia Police funding allows initiatives like this one to expand across the region.”
Mr Martin, who holds talks in schools, added: “It was good to meet Kuldip and to discuss with him his plans for knife crime prevention.
“I was impressed by his commitment to groups such as ours who volunteer to make our town safer.”
County council Labour leader Coun Robin Lunn said he welcomed Mr Sahota’s pledge.
“Small amounts of money can make such a difference,” he said.
Also standing in the PCC election are: John Campion (Conservatives), Peter Jewell (Reform UK) and Margaret Rowley (Liberal Democrats).
