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FazAmnesty is a grassroots organisation that works directly with young people on the streets, offering mentoring, education and a safe, judgement-free way to surrender knifes. Axon has been supporting their work since 2024 through donated body-worn cameras, and most recently, a new community engagement van that expands where and how the team can operate.
We met the team outside Croydon College just after 3pm on a Friday in late November. Students were spilling out across the pavement and the Fazamnesty team were already being stopped regularly to chat or take photos with the students. A mother with two young children also approached them, and wanted to thank Faron for the prevention work they are doing. It set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.
Not long before we arrived, a young person had handed Faron a large knife. No arrangement, no warning. He simply showed up, trusted the team, and handed it over. By the time we joined them the weapon was already secure, but the timing spoke for itself.
From the college we drove to West Croydon Station, then walked to a nearby bus terminal where groups of teenagers gather after school. The team choose locations like this because they know the rhythms of the area and where things can change quickly. They wear stab-resistant vests, clearly labeled FazAmnesty identification, and Axon body-worn cameras. Enough to signal who they are, without creating distance.
At the bus terminal, a police car was stationed nearby, monitoring the scene. The officers didn’t get out. In that environment, uniformed policing can change the atmosphere instantly. FazAmnesty don’t have that problem. They moved comfortably through the groups, talking when needed and simply being present when that was enough. Their presence steadied the space rather than tightening it.
Several younger volunteers were with them too. Some are working with Faron to get security qualifications. Others are simply learning by being part of the patrol. It’s a form of mentoring that meets young people where they already are.
As we continued along the high street, a local TikTok creator recognised the team and stopped to film a quick video. It was an easy interaction and it showed how the younger crowd sees FazAmnesty: credible, approachable, and rooted in the community rather than hovering above it.
Later, a homeless man approached the team to ask who they were. Faron explained the work, the man opened up a little, and Faron pointed him to an organisation he knew could help. It was a small moment, but it captured the way the team operate. They respond to whatever is in front of them.
By the time we wrapped up around 5.30pm, it was already dark. It hadn’t been a quiet afternoon. We’d seen several members of the public cross the street just to thank Faron and his team. Parents introduced their children, kids gave fist bumps to Faron. Earlier, a young person had surrendered a large knife with no prompting. For the volunteers on patrol, especially the younger ones, you could see how much these moments mattered. Being part of the team gave them purpose, confidence and a sense of belonging that’s hard to manufacture anywhere else. What stayed with us wasn’t one dramatic incident, but the cumulative effect of real trust, real visibility and real impact playing out in front of us.
Our role is to back that kind of work with tools that help extend it safely. The Axon body-worn cameras and the new community engagement van support a model that is already keeping people safe and gives FazAmnesty the reach to protect more lives in more places.
The afternoon showed exactly why the community trusts them. Not because they arrive with authority, but because they show up with purpose.