Knife crime soars by over 20% in past year amid zombie blade row
London Knife Crime Up 20%, Political Row Over Zombie Knives
Every day, there are 38 cases of knife-related crimes in the city, while the Labour and Conservative parties debate new strategies to address the dangers of these deadly weapons.
The rise in knife-related crimes is happening at a time when politicians are having disagreements about how to effectively control the use of zombie knives.
The official statistics released on Wednesday showed that knife-related crimes in London have increased by over 20% in the past year. There are nearly 40 incidents of attacks with knives occurring every day in the city. This has caused disagreement among politicians who are discussing the issue of "zombie knives" and accusing each other of not taking sufficient action to address the issue.
According to the Office for National Statistics, police in London recorded 14,000 incidents of knife-related crimes between September of last year and the same month this year.
The overall amount, consisting of 74 instances of deadly blade attacks, 8,343 episodes of robberies using knives, and 214 cases of rape or sexual assault committed with a knife, surpassed the previous year's comparable figure by 2,531 offenses.
This means that there has been a surge by 22% in the number of crimes committed in London and it now averages more than 38 crimes every day over the past year.
According to the latest data, the number of knife-related crimes in London has reached a new high, marking the second-highest annual record over the past ten years. In comparison to the 9,086 cases reported in March 2016, just before Mayor Sadiq Khan began his term at City Hall, the current figure has surged by a staggering 54 percent.
He mentioned other changes that would entail more extended jail terms, fresh authorities for confiscating knives in the homes of suspects, and a program known as "surrender and compensation" that removes weapons from public spaces while remunerating those who do so. Moreover, he advocates for investment in plans to reduce violent behavior.
Labour officials criticized the government for not acting quickly enough to ban zombie knives. These knives are presently only illegal if they have pictures or language that suggest they will be employed for violent ends. The Labour party also claimed that the new measures have loopholes in them.
The article suggested that the enforcement should extend to include weapons like Ninja swords. Furthermore, it was disclosed that efforts will be made to guarantee that any minor discovered with a knife will have a comprehensive plan in place, which could consist of restraints on their movements and monitoring using "tags," contracts that focus on conduct, and support for education.
Both the policing minister Chris Philp and the Labour Party did not show any inclination to support the proposal of increasing the current mandatory term of six months in prison for adults found guilty of possessing a blade for a second time.
He stated that it would not be accurate to claim that nothing is being done as the authorities have managed to remove 120,000 knives from public access within a span of four years. However, it is evident that further action is necessary to continue addressing the issue.
He acknowledged that there was a "gap" in the initial prohibition of zombie knives in 2016. This gap permitted manufacturers to continue marketing the weapons by eliminating violent imagery and language. However, he defended himself against Labour's condemnation.
The plans of the politicians in question do not contain anything innovative. Moreover, the increase in knife crime in London can be attributed to the actions of Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan. His decision to decrease the use of stop and search, which has been proven effective in removing knives from the streets, is causing a regression in efforts to combat the issue. This was expressed by Mr. Philp.
The Home Secretary, James Cleverly, expressed his concern for the numerous families in London who have suffered heartbreaking losses due to the irrational acts of violence taking place on our city streets.
"We are putting an end to this and taking action to avoid any more tragedies by prohibiting the use of machetes that resemble those used by zombies."
Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary of the Labour Party, expressed her intention to assess the current sentencing system, promoting stricter penalties for severe crimes. She denounced the government's lack of action towards the reduction of weapon supply and the root of knife crimes among young individuals.
She expressed that there should be more robust measures taken to halt the sale of these perilous knives. She pointed out that the imposed prohibition on zombie knives has been declared around 16 times by six different Home Secretaries but it remains ineffective and does not encompass weapons such as Ninja swords.
The famous actor Idris Elba is collaborating with parents of kids that were victims of knife crimes in an attempt to stop such tragic events from happening again. During an interview on BBC Breakfast, he expressed his desire for swords to also be banned. However, he considers the government's recent step towards zombie knives as a chance for everyone to start thinking critically and coming up with sustainable solutions for the future.
The current action taken is just a beginning towards the goal, and there is still a lot further to go. The effort seems more solid, hopefully, there are no gaps that could be exploited. It seems like this falls short in certain aspects, for instance, there is no mention of swords and this could be a potential gap.
