Knife crime scene.
Source: www.rateyourmusic.com
The number of fatal stabbing in London this year rose to 32 last week.
The recent scale
of lethal knife attacks in the capital is shocking, with most people stabbed to
death between April-May. Half of them were children and teenagers.
The Metropolitan
police launched the Operation Sceptre in 2015, with the objective of reducing
knife crime across the capital, by targeting not only those who carry and use
knives, but also the supply, access and importation of weapons.
The launch coincided
with new legislation according to which those convicted of carrying a knife for
the second time will face a mandatory custodial sentence.
The
operation has so far resulted in over 2,000 arrests, 473 of which were for
possession of a knife or weapon, and the recovery and removal of nearly 1,500 weapons.
Tackling the
problem through stop and search action plans is essential, but what about
detecting and managing the symptoms to prevent these appalling crimes, currently
on the rise in London?
In order to
focus on why youngsters arm themselves and those around them, officers from the
Trident & Area Crime Command have created and delivered a set of
educational packages in schools across the capital. The aim is to persuade young
students to think about the decisions they make and the consequences of violent
actions to eventually deter them from joining gangs.
Earlier this
year the Met had released an alarming report showing that between 2015 and 2016
the number of children carrying knives at school rose by a whopping 50 per
cent.
Despite the
effort in reducing the percentage of families affected by knife crime across the
whole of London, they have also recorded an increase of 24 per cent in the
number of knife offences in the capital.
It is worth questioning
if their efforts are hindered by a lack of funding, which would lead to a
lively and controversial political debate.
