A call has been made to grandparents and parents to come together in a bid to help take dangerous knives off the street. People are being urged to join a gathering at Eastville Park on Saturday at 2pm.
Peacemakers Prayer and City Safety Patrol leader Reverend Dawnecia Palmer said grandparents in particular could play a role in reducing street crime. “We are really appealing to all the grandparents and parents out there. It’s in my heart to make this call with the summer holidays coming,” she said.
“It is very rare to be horrible to your nan. Is there a way to appeal to young people? We are putting the onus on parents and grandparents. We mostly think, well, my children or grandchildren should know better. But we can see they do not,” she said.
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She said the summer holidays provide more potential for incidents as young people are out and about. She said: “There needs to be more done to ‘de-herofy’ knife carrying and knife-related crimes.”
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Reverend Palmer - known as ‘The Rev’ - said the recent death of teenager, Mikey Roynon due to a fatal stabbing, had struck a ‘deep chord’ within her. The 16-year-old from Kingswood died after suffering a single stab wound on the night of Saturday June 10 while at a party in Bath.
Reverend Palmer said: “Another young innocent life was struck down and once again, way too soon. Funerals for our youth are becoming glorified, regular, expected events. This is sick, our world needs healing."
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She added that there was 'no way to ‘romancify’ these senseless cowardly acts of murder. "We need to take responsibility, parental responsibility to drive it home that carrying a weapon to protect yourself simply translates you are about to commit murder.”
The gathering on Saturday will be held in the children’s area in Eastville Park from 2pm to 3.30pm. Reverend Palmer said: "If you have a child or care about what’s happening in our city with our young people, then I’ll see you there. Step up to the plate. Let’s take responsibility, let’s save a young person’s life,” she said.
