A POLICE initiative to provide trauma injury training for members of the public has received backlash with claims it is “treating the symptom and not the cause”.
The City of London Police provided life-saving bleed prevention techniques to interested passersby via pop-up tents on the capital’s streets yesterday.
The training involved officers showing civilians how to use everyday items and bleed control kits – which have been installed at 300 pubs and bars across London since 2019 – to treat trauma injuries inflicted by weapons such as knives.
However, the move has been met with public outcry, with Brits claiming that the police force is not addressing the root of the problem, with knife crime in London being a cause for major concern in recent years.
The pop-up tents – situated around the city – included walkthroughs for the ‘stop the bleed’ kits, which are designed to provide lifesaving treatment to injured individuals while awaiting the arrival of emergency services.
Those interested were also taught how to use everyday items such as scarfs as makeshift medical tools to assist injured people.
With the number of knife or sharp instrument offences recorded by the police in London rising to approximately 15,016 in 2023/24 though, concerns circled around the fact that the training addressed the “symptom and not the cause”.
The City of London Police took to social media to share their initiative yesterday, where they wrote: “Police officers have been teaching life-saving bleed prevention techniques at pop up tents in the city.
“Members of the public are shown how to potentially save a life from trauma injuries by using everyday items or by using stop the bleed kits.”
It has since received over 615 likes and more than 1,100 comments from disgruntled Brits online.
One user said: “Treating the symptom and not the cause. Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, this is your legacy.”
Another wrote: “A helpful initiative. Although – ideally – we should also turn off the tap before we mop the floor.”
A third commented: “Alternatively you could try fighting knife crime?”
Another added: “Necessary but absolutely harrowing that this is what it’s come to.”
A fifth replied: “This is abhorrent. You’ve done absolutely nothing about the knife crime epidemic in your city.
“Teaching plebs to use their bare hands to stem a knife victim’s blood is stupid. Sort the knife crime epidemic so it doesn’t happen in the first place. Idiots, have a balloon.”
