In a powerful letter to Gloucestershire Live, Chairman of HGT, Nick Gazzard, has spoken out on the latest incidents involving knife crime in Gloucester. After ‘killer clowns’ began terrorising people on the city’s streets, two stabbings in Longlevans and the murder of a 49-year-old man on Friday 7 October, Nick says: “This is unbelievable and makes me sick to the pit of my stomach.”
“The recent stabbings in Gloucester leading to one death and two 21-year-old women being stabbed in Longlevens and being taken to hospital is extremely disappointing and frustrating.
“In addition, we have clowns walking around the streets with knives. This is unbelievable and makes me sick to the pit of my stomach.
“These recent events will only serve to heighten the anxiety of people in our community and hopefully will not result in more individuals carrying knives to ‘protect’ themselves.
“Many of us have children who live in these areas and walk the streets where these incidents are occurring. While we may get the usual message that these incidents are isolated and the public should not be concerned, I cannot agree that this is the case. The incidents of knife crime are on the increase and I am concerned who the next victim will be.
“These events demonstrate that we DO have a problem with knife crime in our communities and despite all the good work of various individuals to raise awareness of the devastation that knives can cause, quite simply the message is not getting through.
“It is time that we took a more proactive approach and those who have influence and power within our communities come together and look at what we can be done to tackle this issue and make Gloucester and the surrounding areas, places where people feel proud to live and at ease walking around.
“It is time that our leaders stand up, come forward don’t pay lip service but, tackle this issue head on. Politicians, Council Leaders and Community leaders It is time to take a stance.”