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Increase in knife crime in London (Social (Reasons for weapon carrying:…
Increase in knife crime in London
Political
Increase powers for stop and search
Politicians use this for a campaign point
Knife Crime:
Is classified as an offence of homicide, attempted murder, assault with intent to cause harm, assault with injury, threats to kill, sexual offences (including rape) and robbery;
Where a knife or sharp instrument has been used to injure, used as a threat, or the victim was convinced a knife was present during the offence
Economical
Cost to taxpayers
Drug Debt
Research has shown a greater likelihood of carrying knives among gang members compared to non-gang members (McVie, 2010)
Police resources
Social
Creates fear in community
19.7% of population in London see knife crime as a problem in their area (1.5 Million) MOPAC- Public Attitude Survey
Police cannot operate effectively without the cooperation of the community
Reasons for weapon carrying: Self Defence and Protection (Lemos, 2004; Squires et al., 2008)
Protecting themselves from others carrying weapons was considered to outweigh the risk of being caught by police. (Broadhurst et al. 2008)
Not only for protection but to intimidate others, to facilitate robbery, to deliberately injury or kill or simply for the perceived power and status that the carrying of a weapon provides.
Children may think its acceptable to carry a knife
Over the next year, through the London Crime Prevention Fund, in partnership with 31 London boroughs MOPAC is sustainably funding 38 projects, at a value of approximately £5m, to keep Children and young people safe, and reduce knife and gang crime and serious youth violence.
Impact of stop and search causes tension
Almost half of the 4,900 people stopped and searched in Croydon in the past 12 months were black, although black people make up less than a quarter of the borough's population
Decision avoidance of stop and search - police may not want to stop and search due to appearing racist
Technological
Drones
Social media
Legal
Increase powers for stop and search
Stop and search being used as a deterrent
Amending the offences of threatening with an article with a blade or point or an offensive weapon
Those in favour, also viewed that amending this offence would mean that those threats made with a knife or other offensive weapon could be more sensibly dealt with in court
current requirement is that the prosecution must show that there is an immediate risk that the other person will actually suffer serious physical harm, so that the offence is committed when the victim reasonably fears they would be likely to suffer serious physical harm.
Environmental
Disruptive
Facts
70 stabbings in London in 2018
123 homocides in total - surpassing 2017 total of 116
Reference:
The London Knife Crime Strategy (2017)
https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/mopac_knife_crime_strategy_june_2017.pdf
Shaw, D. (2018)
The police team targeting London's knife crime
(Online) Available at:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46296640
(accessed 22nd November 2018)