Warinder Juss, MP for Wolverhampton West spoke to WLV News this week about issues affecting the city, including violence against women and knife crme.
Warinder discussed that most young people carry a knife because they think they need it for protection but in most cases that knife is used against them.
He has spent time with young people and worked closely with organisations such as the Wolves Foundation to help tackle knife crime.
He mentioned that he asked young people if a friend at school asked them to join a gang would they do it. A response that he recieved was ‘what if I don’t join the gang so I lose my friendship but if I join a gang that’s not good for me.’
Warinder calls out that ‘we need to do a lot of work to get the message across that there’s other things young people can be doing.’
He and his team have bought in initiatives into the city such as installing knife bins where people can dispose of knives.
Warinder calls that we need to place knife bins in places where they can depose of them and doesn’t put other people in the position to get these weapons. He states that the knife bins have been working well and is why he will be talking to others about getting one for West Park.
They have also introduced youth hubs that offer positive activities such as sports and chess which makes them think about decision making.
Warinder spoke about his time growing up in the city, he said that “when I grew up I had teachers who put me on the right path and my junior school was very influential on my outlook on what I want to do in life.”
Warinder speaks to organisations and it appears that there is a lack of people to look up to.
“We’ve got a lack of role models which I’m told is a contributing factor and I hope that I can be a role model and tell them my story.”
Warinder Juss, MP for Wolverhampton West.
Over the summer the Wolves Foundation held their ‘Kick It’ program where young people from schools were able to take part in football matches.
Warinder attended one of these programs and spoke to a young person who said “if it hadn’t been for the Wolves Foundation for providing this opportunity to play football in a team I’d be doing something else.’
“I think providing facilties with activties such as football, pool, cooking and music helps young people and we need more activities. As an MP I’m trying to support this type of work and setting up this.”
Warinder Juss, MP for Wolverhampton West.
He further states that providing young people with facilities where they can talk to someone and having role models is important for the younger generation.
With recent incidents in Wolverhampton, knife crime and violence needs to be a priority and Warinder Juss wants to resolve these issues that we have in society.