This week is Sceptre week, a national week of action focused on tackling knife crime. While Dorset has a low rate of knife crime, I, along with Dorset Police, are determined to keep it that way to stop another family suffering the heartbreak that others have tragically experienced. Tackling knife crime remains a key priority for the Force and is an important part of my Police and Crime Plan under the priority to Fight Violent Crime and High Harm.

I know the havoc that knife crime can wreak on families and communities; it is truly devastating. Last year, a young man called Cameron Hamilton died after he was stabbed while in Bournemouth town centre. In the aftermath of that tragic day, his courageous grandmother, Tracy Jose, has dedicated herself to fighting knife crime and set up a charity, Changes Are Made (C.A.M), in memory of her beloved grandson. Today, I want to invite her to tell us about the work she is doing and what she hopes to achieve.  

“The impact of knife crime is very real as my family has sadly experienced first-hand. The pain we have all suffered as the result of losing Cam has been inexplicable, which is why we believe anything that gets young people engaging and talking about knife crime is so important.

“As Cameron’s grandmother, I would ask everyone to think twice before they make a choice which could have serious consequences for them, and potentially devastate other families like ours. I think the simple thing that young people need to understand is that if there had not been a knife present on August 5 last year, Cam would still be alive and here with us today. This is why I have set-up the charity, Changes Are Made, in honour of Cam, with the hope it can make a difference in the fight against knife crime and help stop the senseless loss of life.

“The main aim of C.A.M is to help, support, educate, prevent, and deter young people from carrying knives. I hope that through a victim’s family member speaking directly to youngsters in schools and colleges about what happened to Cam and our family, it will have a different kind of impact on them, different to anything else they have heard before. We hope to open conversations within peer groups, parents, carers, teachers and get youngsters to think twice before picking up a knife in the first place. 

“My long-term plan, Cameron’s legacy, is to bring all the people I need around a table to ensure there is a permanent educational hub opened, where all children in the Dorset area get the chance to visit and learn about the impacts, dangers and ripple effects of carrying and using knives. Alongside this big piece of work, I have also collaborated with West Howe Community Enterprises and coach and mentor Marc Smith to launch C.A.M Club, a boxing and fitness club for young people between the ages of 9-16. I’m excited to say we had 20 people attend the first session, all full of enthusiasm. We will be funding the cost of coaching and the venue for the next 12 months, to show commitment to the youngsters that we can be a constant they can rely on. We believe it’s a fantastic opportunity for the young people in the community to come together in a safe and welcoming environment to learn positive new skills which will help them gain the confidence to make the right choices in their lives - something we know can be difficult for young people to do within their peer groups. In time, as we join forces with more clubs and groups, we are hoping to be able to signpost young people from our website towards the sports clubs and activities who are sending out the same message around the dangers of carrying knives as C.A.M. We really hope the weekly C.A.M. Club at The Henry Brown Centre in West Howe will be the first of many in the BCP area, helping to promote positive change in our communities by providing young people with better choices.

“Recently, I was asked to address the Dorset Magistrates AGM and speak about the effects of knife crime on victims and their families. To a room of 170 magistrates, I explained what had happened to Cam and subsequently the perpetrator, and I read my victim impact statement which I had written for the trial. I felt this best described the devastating impact and reality of the aftermath of someone choosing to carry and use a knife. I ended with this simple but very sad truth:

“The question I was asked to speak to you about today was this: ‘What are the impacts of knife crime on victims and their families?’

““It turns out the answer is a very simple one. The impact of knife crime on victims and their families is immeasurable, infinite as the number of impacts will increase over time and these in turn will continue to affect us all forever, throughout the whole of our lives.””

I want to thank Tracy for her bravery in speaking from her heart, not just today, but in all that she is doing. It is truly inspirational. Knife crime and the reasons behind it cannot be solved through policing alone. We need to make sure the right services are provided at the right time as when this can happen, it has a positive ripple effect on that person’s family, their friends, their community, and society in general. Through a broad church of expertise and multi-agency working, along with the determination of the public and incredible people like Tracy all pulling in the same direction at the same time, we can all help to turn the tide for future generations in Dorset.

David Sidwick

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner

- To find out more about Changes Are Made, click here