In an attempt to combat knife crime, the United Kingdom’s Home Office unveiled on Wednesday the “KnifeFree” public service announcements on fast food fried chicken boxes.
More than 321,000 #knifefree boxes have been distributed to 210 restaurants in England and Wales, the Home Office said. The boxes have stories of people who “have chosen to pursue positive activities, such as boxing or music, instead of carrying a knife.”
“These chicken boxes will bring home to thousands of young people the tragic consequences of carrying a knife and challenge the idea that it makes you safer,” Policing Minister Kit Malthouse said. “The government is doing everything it can to tackle the senseless violence that is traumatising communities and claiming too many young lives, including bolstering the police’s ranks with 20,000 new police officers on our streets.”
The U.K. government said new “#knifefree street teams” will also be visiting convenience stores, hair salons, barber shops, places of worship, and community centers across London, Manchester, and Birmingham to “speak to local communities about the campaign and on the risks of carrying a knife.”
We are rolling out our #KnifeFree chicken boxes in over 210 chicken shops in England and Wales, including Morley’s, Dixy Chicken and Chicken Cottage. They use real life stories to show people how they can go #KnifeFree. pic.twitter.com/vrG4WWa56v
— Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) August 14, 2019
London reached 87 murders for 2019 on Monday after a 16-year-old boy was stabbed to death with a machete by three people who chased him down. Witnesses said they heard the boy screaming for help before the attackers killed him in the street.
