Ex-gang member Omar endorses our Life or Knife Campaign

This video, released in October 2020, is part of a series for our anti-knife campaign - #LifeorKnife. Omar Sharif is former gang member turned award winner. In this video, Omar tells his story of being in a gang, and how they make you feel like you are part of a family – until something goes wrong, when you find yourself alone. He recalls how he broke away from the gang, went into ‘ghost mode’ and even changed the way he dressed to change his identity. He set up his own business doorstep selling, but struggled to keep afloat and found himself on the streets. Omar's Story: Growing up in an area of London where gun and knife crime were a way of life, Omar became involved in a gang at an early age. He was just 13 when he first started carrying a knife. When he was 15, his friend Jevonne was stabbed and killed. It was a horrifying wake-up call for Omar to change. Omar moved to Coventry to get away from the gang and has since turned his life around to help deter others from following the same destructive path. Omar applied unsuccessfully for 50 jobs and plunged into depression. At his lowest moment, Omar heard about Team – a Prince’s Trust programme to help 16 to 25-year-olds develop skills that will help them find work. After the 12-week programme finished, Omar was offered a job working with young teenagers who needed help getting back on the right track. In 2018 he was named the Prince’s Trust Young Achiever in the Pride of Britain Awards. Omar ends the video by saying: “Carrying a knife won’t save your life but could cause you to take someone else’s life. My advice to someone carrying a knife is put it down, get rid of them.” #LifeorKnife is the force’s ongoing anti-knife crime campaign, which is part of Project Guardian, the force’s response to tackling under 25 youth violence. More details about the campaign including support for children, parents, carers and teachers can be found on the website https://lifeorknife.west-midlands.pol... Report crime, get prevention advice, and see the latest news on our website http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/ You can get in touch with us via Live Chat at west-midlands.police.uk, via 101, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.