Young people have joined forces with police in a bid to crack down on knife crime on Teesside.
Cleveland Police force has set up a knife amnesty, after the move was suggested by the Stockton Youth Independent Advisory Group.
Chief Constable Sean Price said: "While we haven't yet seen the knife carrying culture here that exists in some other parts of the country, we aren't being complacent.
"Carrying a knife isn't cool. It's illegal and people found carrying knives will be prosecuted.
"People don't realise sometimes just how dangerous a knife can be. They can cause serious and even fatal injuries.
"We want to make the streets of Cleveland safer by removing as many as we can."
Thursday, 18 September 2008
Anti-knife ad campaign launched
A campaign to tackle knife crime among London teenagers has been launched by the Metropolitan Police (Met).
The television, radio and poster adverts are part of Operation Blunt 2, which was launched in May to tackle the problem of youths carrying weapons.
Commander Simmons, head of Operation Blunt 2, said since May more than 1,900 knives have been seized through the use of search powers, intelligence from the community, and pro-active policing.
"This ad campaign is stark in its sombre message to young people about the consequences of carrying a knife," he said.
"Carrying and using a knife has dire consequences - both for the victim and their family and also you and your friends and family.
'If you carry a knife, you will be arrested and you will be charged and appear before the courts.
Knife crime will remain a priority for the Met, he said.
The television, radio and poster adverts are part of Operation Blunt 2, which was launched in May to tackle the problem of youths carrying weapons.
Commander Simmons, head of Operation Blunt 2, said since May more than 1,900 knives have been seized through the use of search powers, intelligence from the community, and pro-active policing.
"This ad campaign is stark in its sombre message to young people about the consequences of carrying a knife," he said.
"Carrying and using a knife has dire consequences - both for the victim and their family and also you and your friends and family.
'If you carry a knife, you will be arrested and you will be charged and appear before the courts.
Knife crime will remain a priority for the Met, he said.
Met's knife crime policy attacked
The Metropolitan Police has been criticised for its use of stop and search in tackling knife crime.
Laura Richards, former head of the Met's homicide prevention unit, told the BBC stop and search could make gangs stronger and the problem worse.
The Met defended its tactics, saying it had community support.
Last month the Met set up a special taskforce in London using stop and search, sending teams of officers into stabbing hotspots.
Ms Richards, a criminal behavioural psychologist, told BBC Radio 4's The Investigation using stop and search was a sticking plaster, and that it could push marginalised young men further into gang membership.
"We're seeing a number of guys committing the murders are already marginalised, already excluded and we are trying those kind of tactics on those individuals. I fear we just make the problem worse."
Ms Richards ran the homicide prevention unit for four years. The unit, which was formed in 2003, split knife murders into two categories - domestic and street attacks.
Domestic knife killers tended to be older and white, while those who committed street attacks were aged under 20 and disproportionately black.
Domestic killings have fallen dramatically in recent years, but street murders have been rising.
A four-year study by Ms Richards' unit had found almost 90% of knife killers had previously been known to police.
"Not only did we flag up problems, we flagged up solutions," she said.
The unit proposed a multi-agency approach targeted at offenders who ran the risk of escalating violent behaviour.
"You don't just wake up one morning and kill somebody," Ms Richards said.
However, the government has dismissed claims stop and search has made knife crime worse. Home Office minister Tony McNulty told the BBC there was much more to the policy.
"[We are] working with schools, education, trying to tackle that sort of cultural 'it's cool to carry a knife' type dimension," he said.
The policy has been more targeted and intelligence-led since June. About 1500 arrests have been made using Section 60 and other powers, he said.
Stop and search is part of a deterrence and awareness campaign, he added.
Keith Jarratt, a serving sergeant and a former president of the National Black Police Association, agreed stop and search was a good deterrent but just part of a strategy.
"If someone knows that they're likely to be stopped and searched, who is not a hardened criminal, they will stop carrying weapons, " he said.
Rose Fitzpatrick, deputy assistant commissioner at the Met, said stop and search was the right tactic.
"Stop and search is part of what we're doing but we're also sending a very visible message to young people that our aim is to keep them safe," she said.
Laura Richards, former head of the Met's homicide prevention unit, told the BBC stop and search could make gangs stronger and the problem worse.
The Met defended its tactics, saying it had community support.
Last month the Met set up a special taskforce in London using stop and search, sending teams of officers into stabbing hotspots.
Ms Richards, a criminal behavioural psychologist, told BBC Radio 4's The Investigation using stop and search was a sticking plaster, and that it could push marginalised young men further into gang membership.
"We're seeing a number of guys committing the murders are already marginalised, already excluded and we are trying those kind of tactics on those individuals. I fear we just make the problem worse."
Ms Richards ran the homicide prevention unit for four years. The unit, which was formed in 2003, split knife murders into two categories - domestic and street attacks.
Domestic knife killers tended to be older and white, while those who committed street attacks were aged under 20 and disproportionately black.
Domestic killings have fallen dramatically in recent years, but street murders have been rising.
A four-year study by Ms Richards' unit had found almost 90% of knife killers had previously been known to police.
"Not only did we flag up problems, we flagged up solutions," she said.
The unit proposed a multi-agency approach targeted at offenders who ran the risk of escalating violent behaviour.
"You don't just wake up one morning and kill somebody," Ms Richards said.
However, the government has dismissed claims stop and search has made knife crime worse. Home Office minister Tony McNulty told the BBC there was much more to the policy.
"[We are] working with schools, education, trying to tackle that sort of cultural 'it's cool to carry a knife' type dimension," he said.
The policy has been more targeted and intelligence-led since June. About 1500 arrests have been made using Section 60 and other powers, he said.
Stop and search is part of a deterrence and awareness campaign, he added.
Keith Jarratt, a serving sergeant and a former president of the National Black Police Association, agreed stop and search was a good deterrent but just part of a strategy.
"If someone knows that they're likely to be stopped and searched, who is not a hardened criminal, they will stop carrying weapons, " he said.
Rose Fitzpatrick, deputy assistant commissioner at the Met, said stop and search was the right tactic.
"Stop and search is part of what we're doing but we're also sending a very visible message to young people that our aim is to keep them safe," she said.
Anti-knife fight goes to New York
Brooke Kensella plans to travel to New York as part of her campaign to tackle knife crime following ben Kensella's death on 29th June.
Speaking to the BBC, former EastEnders actress Brooke Kinsella said she wanted to see how the city reduced crime levels with its zero tolerance policy.
Ms Kinsella stressed there was no "quick fix" to the problem.
LEARN LESSONS:
Ms Kinsella said she had met with politicians, police, families of victims and schools since her brother's death, in an attempt to find solutions to knife crime.
"New York had a massive crime level but they have managed to reduce it with their zero tolerance policy, so I want to go out there and speak to people who started this policy.
"I think if we can take some lessons from them and learn how they did it maybe we could help our country in the same way."
Ms Kinsella said her family was still trying to cope with Ben's death.
Ben Kinsella was fatally stabbed during a night out with friends
"It's still a bit surreal, I think we are on a kind of autopilot... it's just survival instinct at the moment.
"We've lost seven more kids, after Ben and, you know, we're just, we're not naive enough to think that we can't stop anybody else dying, but we want to try and, we don't want any other family to go through this.
"The people of our country want to make a difference now and, there's enough of us that are ready to stand up and make a change.
"We can't just fix this with a quick fix - four years in prison. You need to start trying to prevent it from an early age."
Juries Kika and Michael Allende, both 18, and Jade Braithwaite, 19, have been charged with Ben's murder.
Speaking to the BBC, former EastEnders actress Brooke Kinsella said she wanted to see how the city reduced crime levels with its zero tolerance policy.
Ms Kinsella stressed there was no "quick fix" to the problem.
LEARN LESSONS:
Ms Kinsella said she had met with politicians, police, families of victims and schools since her brother's death, in an attempt to find solutions to knife crime.
"New York had a massive crime level but they have managed to reduce it with their zero tolerance policy, so I want to go out there and speak to people who started this policy.
"I think if we can take some lessons from them and learn how they did it maybe we could help our country in the same way."
Ms Kinsella said her family was still trying to cope with Ben's death.
Ben Kinsella was fatally stabbed during a night out with friends
"It's still a bit surreal, I think we are on a kind of autopilot... it's just survival instinct at the moment.
"We've lost seven more kids, after Ben and, you know, we're just, we're not naive enough to think that we can't stop anybody else dying, but we want to try and, we don't want any other family to go through this.
"The people of our country want to make a difference now and, there's enough of us that are ready to stand up and make a change.
"We can't just fix this with a quick fix - four years in prison. You need to start trying to prevent it from an early age."
Juries Kika and Michael Allende, both 18, and Jade Braithwaite, 19, have been charged with Ben's murder.
Murdered youth stabbed in chest
An 18-year-old man who died in a knife attack in Walthamstow, east London, suffered stab wounds to the chest, a post-mortem examination has found.
Police found Charles Junior Hendricks lying wounded near Selborne Road in the early hours of Sunday.
A 19-year-old man and a 17-year-old youth were arrested over the murder, near a grassy area off Selborne Road on Sunday where the killing took place.
The younger of the two had a minor slash wound to the arm and was treated in hospital, police said. The man has been released on bail.
Police found Charles Junior Hendricks lying wounded near Selborne Road in the early hours of Sunday.
A 19-year-old man and a 17-year-old youth were arrested over the murder, near a grassy area off Selborne Road on Sunday where the killing took place.
The younger of the two had a minor slash wound to the arm and was treated in hospital, police said. The man has been released on bail.
Friday, 12 September 2008
Teenager dies after knife attack
An 18-year-old man has been stabbed to death near a bus station in Walthamstow, east London.
A routine police patrol found the teenager lying wounded near Selborne Road at 0140 BST. He was pronounced dead in hospital.
A man in his 20s and a 17-year-old youth have been arrested in connection with the incident and are in custody.
The killing led to the cancellation of Walthamstow's celebration of the handover of the Olympics to London.
Clyde Loakes, leader of Waltham Forest Council, said: "I was devastated to learn this morning (Sunday) that instead of celebrating London officially becoming the next Olympic host, in Walthamstow we would be mourning the loss of another young life.
"I intend to call an urgent meeting of the leaders and mayors of the five host boroughs.
"As host boroughs, we must use the power of the Games coming to East London to inspire change in our communities and change for our young people," he added.
A routine police patrol found the teenager lying wounded near Selborne Road at 0140 BST. He was pronounced dead in hospital.
A man in his 20s and a 17-year-old youth have been arrested in connection with the incident and are in custody.
The killing led to the cancellation of Walthamstow's celebration of the handover of the Olympics to London.
Clyde Loakes, leader of Waltham Forest Council, said: "I was devastated to learn this morning (Sunday) that instead of celebrating London officially becoming the next Olympic host, in Walthamstow we would be mourning the loss of another young life.
"I intend to call an urgent meeting of the leaders and mayors of the five host boroughs.
"As host boroughs, we must use the power of the Games coming to East London to inspire change in our communities and change for our young people," he added.
Monday, 8 September 2008
Knife-bearers face Taser arrest
Anyone carrying a knife on the street in Devon and Cornwall risks being shot with a Taser electric stun gun, police have warned.
The gun works by firing darts that release a 50,000-volt electric shock which causes temporary paralysis.
Police said they would deal with such situations involving knives "robustly".
The Taser is classed as a "less lethal" alternative to firearms, although the weapons have been criticised by human rights groups.
Although knife crime in Devon and Cornwall has fallen by 10% in recent years, police said they would still employ the stuns guns if necessary.
Supt John Green of Devon and Cornwall Police said: "We'd like to make it clear that if you carry knives in the Devon and Cornwall area that we'll take it very seriously and deal with it very robustly.
"You stand a chance of being incapacitated and taken to the ground by use of a Taser."
The human rights group Amnesty has linked Tasers to about 70 deaths in the US, and mental health groups also fear they are being used too often.
The gun works by firing darts that release a 50,000-volt electric shock which causes temporary paralysis.
Police said they would deal with such situations involving knives "robustly".
The Taser is classed as a "less lethal" alternative to firearms, although the weapons have been criticised by human rights groups.
Although knife crime in Devon and Cornwall has fallen by 10% in recent years, police said they would still employ the stuns guns if necessary.
Supt John Green of Devon and Cornwall Police said: "We'd like to make it clear that if you carry knives in the Devon and Cornwall area that we'll take it very seriously and deal with it very robustly.
"You stand a chance of being incapacitated and taken to the ground by use of a Taser."
The human rights group Amnesty has linked Tasers to about 70 deaths in the US, and mental health groups also fear they are being used too often.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)