Role models help the Met fight gun crime

The Metropolitan Police is working with youth media brands including MTV, MySpace, Choice FM and Kiss FM to tackle gun crime in the capital. The latest execution of the Trident anti-gun initiative tells young people: “You don’t need a gun to get respect.”

The campaign will target young people in the black community and uses “credible” role models including Olympic gold medallist boxer James DeGale (pictured), The Apprentice winner Tim Campbell and musician Estelle.

MTV will run a series of 60-second advertorials across its portfolio of channels, including MTV1, MTVbase, MTVdance, MTVhits, MTV2 and online. They will feature the role models talking about their experiences and how young people can find other ways to gain respect.

The partnership is the latest under Viacom Brand Solution’s “Force For Good” initiative, which sees the MTV sales house match ad spend pound for pound on a number of pro-social campaigns run throughout the year.

Radio DJs Masterstepz and Hotsteppa from Choice, Ricky Haywood Williams and Shortee Blitz from Kiss FM will also feature in advertorials to be aired on their radio stations about what respect means to them, and how they have achieved in life without turning to gun crime.

The Met will also be using Blyk, a mobile phone network dedicated to urban youth, to send targeted text messages to engage with young people and highlight the role models to prompt discussion about respect among young people.

Workshops will also be held across London aimed at young people who are vulnerable to becoming involved in, or have already committed crime.

Detective Chief Superintendent Helen Ball, head of Trident, says: “This year’s campaign is very special. We have moved on from traditional adverts and are using black role models who can influence our communities.”