A campaigner who lost his brother to knife crime visited a school in Prestwich this week as part of a police initiative to reduce stabbings.
Byron Highton, whose brother Jon-Jo was stabbed to death in 2014 aged just 18, visited The Heys High School as part of the JJ Effect, a project he set up to educated young people away from knife crime.
Bryon and his team travel around the country delivering presentations to young people about the dangers of carrying a knife and aim to educate youngsters about issues such as grooming and county lines.
Funding for the visit was secured by PC Hall of the Prestwich Neighbourhood Team who secured the money from the High Sheriff’s Police Trust who support wide ranging initiatives to reduce crime.
Following Byron’s presentation, a police spokesperson said: “PC Hall from Prestwich neighbourhood team applied and secured funding from The High Sheriff's Police Trust who support wide ranging initiatives that address issues of crime reduction concerning the public and affecting the quality of their lives.
“PC Hall used the funding to provide inputs in schools by Byron, the creator of 'The JJ effect.'
“This morning Byron presented at The Heys High School, Prestwich which gripped all who were present, and no doubt changed a lot of minds on the use of knives.
"The input was a serious topic which is affecting our youth across the country but was made fun and engaging by Byron who knows first-hand the effects knives can have.
"More inputs are organised across the south of Bury in the upcoming months.”
The JJ Effect’s presentation comes amid an extensive effort taking place across the borough and the UK to prevent knife crime.
In May, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) joined forces nationwide to take park in Operation Sceptre, a national week of action on knife crime.
In the same week, officers in Radcliffe seized more than 30 weapons from waterways in Radcliffe with the help of a local magnet fishing team.
GMP are encouraging members of the public to dispose of weapons safely and anonymously in knife amnesty bins located across Greater Manchester.
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