Tackling knife crime

[CagedRaven]

AIBU to think our politicians need to do more to tackle knife crime?

Everyday, reports of stabbings in city centres, on public transport, near schools, unprovoked attacked, victims being young, old, black, white, brown, male, female. It just seems that it's so commonplace now.

How have we got here as a society? When I was young this would be a rarity and would make national headlines for days. Now its normalised.

Why isnt anybody doing anything about it?

Everyone needs to do something about it, not just politicians. An awful lot of people who know people are carrying knives choose to ignore it.

What would you like them to do about it?

Tougher sentencing for anyone caught carrying a knife for one. If someone is carrying a knife in public, its obvious the intention is to use it.

I'd extend that to school kids who think it's cool to carry knives. With the intention of rehabilitating them whilst they are still young.

Then the sentencing needs to be relevant and meaningful, with enough staff and and resources to see it through.

What can be done if you know someone is carrying a knife @Greenshake ? Tell them off? It's likely they will turn on you.

Bingo!!

Exactly this!

I do wonder about the cries of 'something needs to be done'...

You report it to any one of several authorities, starting with the Police.

You're exactly right on that point @Greenshake so why isnt more being done? That is out of the hands of the public and in the hands of the home office and the lawmakers. Which is why I said our politicians need to do more.

Yeah reporting it is obviously a step you can fulfil as a civic duty but what about the people you dont know about who are carrying knives. You could be going about your own business and get stabbed for nothing. The question why are so many carrying knives in the first place. It never used to be this way.

Do you disagree that something needs to be done @GirrlCrush. You could add your own suggestions.

There is plenty being done, but it’s seldom talked about. There are knife amnesties/bins, advertising campaigns, youth initiatives, touring events such as the Knife Angel and a whole lot of behind the scenes work. Certain politicians are probably the least well placed to tackle this issue in all fairness.

That's all good stuff, but is it enough? Why arent these things talked about?

No @CagedRaven I'm saying there is already a lot being done

CagedRaven, cases where people get randomly stabbed “for nothing” do not constitute the main incidences of knife crime. There are many reasons why people, particularly youths, choose to arm themselves.

Schools and parents are a good starting point

Have you spoken to your own kids?

Death penalty for murder

Long prison sentences for carrying

Sadiq Khan to be flown out into the Atlantic and dropped out of a plane without a parachute

Or am I being a bit draconian?

No just flippant

I have seen some programs that go to London schools and do roadshows etc. There are charities and youth groups working really hard to reach as many kids as possible.

@Greenshake but it never used to be that way so what as a society has changed?

@GirrlCrush i talk to my children about everything and have instilled in them a decent moral compass, so yes. Have you talked to yours?

Do you have any suggestions? You say a lot is being done. So why is knife crime at a high?

Khan will never do anything about knife crime in London

The sleazy little turd is only interested in one thing - himself

The birch.

I always carry a knife. I have never stabbed or intended to stab someone - it's a tool that I've used for everything from freeing trapped wildlife to opening packets (it gets washed between!)

Harsher punishment does not reduce crime rates - the root causes (poverty, lack of anything meaningful to do, lack of social mobility, poor education) need to be tackled but that's too hard so nothing gets done.

People are doing something about it:
https://www.gov.scot/policies/crime-prevention-and-reduction/violence-knife-crime/

@ManAboutTown but this is happening everywhere

They need to do more to tackle the underlying problems; focus on the poverty children are growing up in, youth services, youth groups, opportunities for kids that don’t cost the earth.
Longer sentences are all well and good but kids go into youth offending prisons and come out worse so there needs to be more focus on getting kids a good life when they come out of prison too

@CagedRaven, I think that the internet, social media, rampant consumerism and a lack of general respect or understanding has a lot to do with it. That’s not an exhaustive list though.