Knife Eagle

The Eagle sculpture will be accompanied with signposting information when services are not on hand and a book of commitment and promises, the public can reflect on the knives surrendered and sign our commitment book and pledge their promises to reduce harm and keep our community safe.

We use the sculpture to create discussion, reflection, and consideration for educational benefit. The VRU is very much about prevention and as such we consider the use of knives in the sculpture will aid us in raising meaningful dialogue about the issues and consequences of knife crime within our districts.

Bio from the Creator of the Eagle

I am a Senior Investigating Officer with Kent Police and have led homicide investigations for the past 18 years. This work has routinely taken me to crime scenes, post mortems, and the homes of grieving families.

Around half of the cases I have led involved the use of a knife, often a small everyday kitchen knife, used to inflict a single fatal wound.

The most challenging aspect of my role is meeting with victims’ families and witnessing the profound ripple effect that a murder creates. Grief affects people differently, and it can sadly lead to families becoming fractured as they struggle with loss and helplessness.

Whilst my teams have secured many convictions, bringing some measure of comfort to families, no outcome can replace a loved one. It has been a privilege to lead these investigations, but each has been deeply tragic.

To maintain balance outside of work I started to pursue a hobby entirely separate from policing and learnt to weld. I started by creating small sculptures from cutlery and reclaimed metal found at boot fairs or donated by friends. My early pieces included a fish and an owl, gradually growing in size, eventually to the point where I was banned from bringing them in to the house! Information on other sculptures can be found on my website at ‘secondlifesteel.co.uk

Thank you for commissioning the Knife Eagle. It has been a meaningful opportunity to transform objects associated with harm into something positive. I hope the sculpture is appreciated as a piece of art, but I also hope it prompts reflection on the devastating impact that a single knife can have on a victim, their family and the wider community.

Lee Whitehead - Detective Superintendent - SIO - Operation Magenta