SOUTH Yorkshire Police recorded more than 100 incidents of children taking knives into schools - including more than a dozen in Barnsley - over the latest three-year period.
The figures show the number of young people under the age of 18 were reported to the police for taking knives into schools between 2022 to 2024, across Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.
A Freedom of Information request shows that Sheffield saw the highest number of incidents, recording 37 between 2022 and 2024.
In the same period, Doncaster saw 30 incidents, Rotherham 22 and Barnsley 14.
Only three per cent of cases resulted in formal legal action like charges or summons.
The majority of cases involved alternative actions, such as cautions, community resolutions, or diversionary interventions.
Of the more than 100 cases, three children were charged or summoned, while seven received youth cautions and 12 were given youth conditional cautions.
Other outcomes included two community resolutions, three cases where prosecution was prevented due to the suspect being below the age of criminal responsibility, and 15 incidents where evidential difficulties prevented further action despite the victim’s support.
In 27 cases, victims withdrew support for police action.
Superintendent David Cowley, South Yorkshire Police’s force lead for knife crime, said: “We are dedicated to combating knife crime in South Yorkshire - and take a robust approach in response to incidents and those found to be carrying a weapon.
“We have seen the devastation it causes to our local communities, and are committed to working with partners, including local authorities and the South Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit, taking an evidence-based approach to prevent and reduce knife crime.”
It’s resulted in the police force conducting sessions with schools, warning them of the dangers that knives can cause.
Supt Cowley added: “This includes engagement work with local schools and youth groups where, through our Knives Take Lives campaign, tailored educational talks and events which are delivered to make young people aware of the dangers of carrying a knife.”
The ongoing campaign is encouraging people with knives to drop them off at an amnesty bin.
The bin is located outside Vape Store and Bargains Galore on Regent Street.
Mitch Cavill, who runs the store, said he’s had more than 200 knives placed in the bin since it was placed outside the shop four years ago.
The bin was delivered to him by campaigner and author Ant Olaseinde, who strives to stop knife crime - and he says he has seen blades longer than ten inches, as well as butchers’ cleavers and serrated knives.
Mitch said: “It started off with Ant in Sheffield and I saw all the good work he was doing.
“I wanted to collaborate and he jumped on it - that was about four years ago now.
“We’ve had well over 200 knives come in.
“We’ve had meat cleavers, zombie knives - it’s not just kitchen knives.
“We’ve even had drugs placed in there.
“Most of the knives go to the police and some go to Ant.
“He puts them in the right hands and people make sculptures out of them.”
