Fed member plays key role in stopping a local retailer from selling knives

21 August 2023

A West Midlands Police Federation member who played a pivotal role in stopping the sale of knives at a local shop says ‘working with retailers rather than against them is key’ to tackling knife crime.

Police constable Luke Prescott, a member of the constabulary’s licensing team, helped put a halt to a local Solihull shop from selling knives after a test purchase carried out by the Trading Standards found the retailer selling a knife to a juvenile.

Luke also worked with the owner of the shop to put in place new conditions for the licence, including the installation of CCTV and ensuring it is operational at all times.

This is the first time a shop has had its licence changed in this way in the West Midlands.

“We don’t want to see these shops derelict and that’s why I believe the way forward is to work with them, not against them,” said Luke, who has been in the Force for nearly 25 years.

“There is no point in us simply asking retailers to remove knives from their shelves because what happens when our backs are turned, or if another manager takes over? The knives go right back up. That’s why it is so important that we work on putting conditions in place, that they have to stick to.

“Also, we need to be educating our local retailers, so they know the rules surrounding the sale of knives. After all, they have a responsibility to protect the public.”

Also included in the new conditions for the shop, at least one member of staff must be trained to operate the CCTV and download images upon request.

Training must also be provided to all staff around checking ages through 'Challenge 25' and keeping an incident book in which refusals to see are logged.

“At the end of the day, it’s legal to sell most types of knives but it is illegal to sell them to children and minors,” added Luke.

“This story could’ve been making the headlines for a completely different reason, had it had a different beginning. What if that shop had sold a knife to a child, who had then used it?

“It’s no secret that this is a serious issue, especially within the West Midlands and I firmly believe that one of the most effective ways we can tackle knife crime is by working with our local retailers.

“We need to be speaking with retailers at the earliest opportunity so we can intervene as early as possible.

“We should be talking to retailers about product placement or putting the knives in glass cabinets, or even the basics like staff training, if they really want to sell these items”

The chair of West Midlands Police Federation Rich Cooke, who has actively been campaigning for an outright ban on the sale of certain vicious blades, like machetes has praised the work of the Force’s licensing team.

“This is exactly what should be happening,” he added.

“This is what we want to be seeing all over - officers working with local retailers to prevent knives from getting into the hands of the wrong people. I have no doubt about it, shops being more responsible when it comes to selling knives will help to prevent knife crime.”

Rich added that this was a ‘good example’ of ‘local policing’.

“The focus of the Force has shifted, and this is an example of how a more localised policing model is helping us to get to know our communities better,” he continued.

“Our officers are asking themselves, ‘what can I do to make my part of the world safer’ and while I’m not saying that wouldn’t have happened before, I think local policing models are definitely helping our officers to connect and engage with the patch they work in.”