'Operation Sabre' hits the road

28 February 2006

Operation Sabre hits the road today (Tuesday 28 February) as Kensington and Chelsea police aim to drive out knife crime in the borough.

With the support of Kensington and Chelsea Council, First and Transport for London (TfL), three buses operating on the 328 route will carry the message `Knives Take Lives' in an effort to raise awareness of the anti-knife crime message.

'Operation Sabre' began last year with a competition in which young people from local schools and youth clubs were asked to design a poster. There were ten winners but the lucky pupil who will see his poster transferred to local buses that will be driven through the borough is 14-year-old Thomas Keller from Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, Addison Road in Kensington.

Supt Mike Wise, Head of Operations, said: "This poster launch on 328 `bus backs' is part of a long-running multi-agency campaign to reduce the incidence of knife crime in Kensington and Chelsea. There are a number of strands to Operation Sabre including enforcement and education. These `bus back' posters highlight the effects of knife crime on victims and the community."

The 328 buses are a frequent sight in the borough travelling from Ladbroke Grove in the north to the World's End Estate in the south. The aim of advertising on the bus is to publicise the anti-knife message to a wide audience, targeting young people who are at particular risk of knife crime.

Cllr Mrs Frances Taylor, Chairman of Kensington and Chelsea's Public Transport and Road Safety Advisory Committee, who attended the launch said: "We hope this latest phase of `Operation Sabre' will get the message across that carrying knives is unacceptable in Kensington and Chelsea. The advertising on the 328 buses will help alert a wide audience to the fact that `Knives Take Lives'. Kensington and Chelsea Council will continue to work closely with the local police to tackle knife crime."

Tony Wilson, Managing Director for First's London and Berkshire Companies said: "Knife crime is an issue for First as it is for everyone in the community. Safety is our number one priority and this campaign, which urges people to surrender their knives, will help to protect our passengers and our staff. We are pleased to give our support to Operation Sabre."

Supt Wise added: `We are extremely grateful to First for their outstanding contribution by allowing us to utilise three of their buses for this campaign. Without their support we would have been unable to spread our anti-knife crime message across the borough in such an innovative way. The Metropolitan Police Service and our partners within the borough will continue relentlessly in our efforts to prevent the use of knives in crime."

"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of the community in the borough who have supported us in many of the tactics used by police to enforce legislation in respect of the carrying of knives. Without this support we would not have been able to achieve so much in a short space of time."

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