ESSEX Police’s Chief Constable has insisted Colchester is safe after the city saw two stabbings in less than a fortnight.
When asked whether Colchester had a knife crime problem, Chief Constable BJ Harrington replied, “no more so than any other part of the county”, and added the force “is not complacent” when it comes to tackling the problem.
Countywide data has shown knife crime is starting to fall, but two stabbings in 11 days in Colchester have renewed residents’ fears about safety in the city centre.
The most recent stabbing, which took place in Maidenburgh Street in the early hours of Sunday morning, resulted in police arresting a 43-year-old woman.
Eight days earlier, police arrested two men and charged them with attempted murder following a stabbing in Queen Street.
The Essex Police chief constable has sought to allay residents’ fears, explaining the force is not afraid to use the controversial ‘stop and search’ technique if it means rooting out the problem.
He said: “Colchester is a safe city.
“Are there people who carry knives in Colchester? Yes there are.
“Are we working to tackle that? Yes we are.
“We do stop and search, we have done knife sweeps, and we use intelligence and we tackle drug dealers who often arm themselves to protect their business and their stash.”
When asked why the stabbings are continuing despite increased police measures, Mr Harrington said the work being done goes beyond enforcement.
He said: “I’m not complacent about what we need to keep doing.
“Crimes keep being committed despite the work being done by the police but we are doing everything we can to tackle people involved in violence.
“We work with local charities and we do education in schools, so it’s not just enforcement – it’s a case of how do we tell people that carrying a knife and using a knife is unacceptable.”
Mr Harrington also praised the Gazette’s anti-knife crime campaign, saying different organisations in the community should work together to raise awareness about the dangers of carrying a blade.
The chief constable also urged individuals and organisations to inform the police at the earliest opportunity about those who carry knives so the force can take action before a stabbing takes place.
He said: “I think the campaign is really important – we are part of the community and there’s a responsibility on the community [to be part of tackling the problem].
“The assurance I give you is that if the public tell us, we will work on the information.
“We have also secured government funding as part of Operation Grip so we can tackle the prevalent areas where violent crime takes place.
“We have started to reduce that violent crime to make sure we are there at the right time and the right place.”
