Police in Knowle West have been stunned at the change in anti social behaviour phone calls they receive in a small area of Knowle West known locally as the devils triangle. It encompasses Melvin Square, Newry Walk and a small part of Daventry Road and Ilminster Avenue.

 

Three months ago the Knowle Police held a local community meeting to identify the worst areas of crime and anti social behaviour and the devil's triangle are a came out as one of the worst. The police have spent the last three months working to reduce crime in this and other local areas with astonishing results.

 

Over the last three months anti social phone calls in to the police regarding youths in the Melvin Square area have dropped from 6 per day to around 2-3 per week! The police are so surprised that they are checking their figures again. How did they do it?

 

Planted in the middle of this area are two Christian projects - Sparkz K-West (a youth project running on a Friday night) and The Bristol Joshua Trust Community House (open to local people including youths) - which appear to have had a large impact on these figures. Sparkz takes youths off the street on a Friday night and they often go to the house on other nights of the week. When told of the drop in figures and asked why that might be, they replied that it was because they could come to the house, they had something to do now.

 

There has been a feeling among local Christians that God is doing amazing things in Knowle - and this is just one of them.

 

Volnunteers are need to sustain this project. Check out volunteer posts.

 

By Penny Hopkins