New law to ban zombie-style knives and machetes

New laws are going to be introduced with the aim to stop the use of harmful knives and machetes that resemble those used by zombies. The focus is on making sure that young individuals stay out of harm's way.

The Prime Minister revealed new regulations that will take effect today, prohibiting the ownership, sale, production, and transportation of zombie-like knives and machetes. These measures were initially declared last year and have now been presented to Parliament.

In free English, the government is asking folks who have dangerous knives to give them up in a knife surrender bin before the official surrender scheme is rolled out in the summer. This will help get such knives off our streets immediately and offer people a chance to hand them over without legal troubles. The complete ban will become active in September, and those caught with such knives will be imprisoned.

In the upcoming period, the government will collaborate with law enforcement, neighborhoods, and associates to guarantee that the surrender plan is well-known to the public. This strategy has been previously enforced in conjunction with policies restricting the use of knives.

The government is implementing a variety of measures to fortify the current laws surrounding knife crime, which are already considered some of the most rigorous in the world. If you are caught carrying a knife in public for no valid reason, you can face a prison term of up to 4 years. Additionally, in 2016, the use of zombie knives was banned by the government, and cyclone knives were banned in 2019.

Police have removed 120,000 knives from public areas by performing stop and search and other operations since 2019. In the same time period, knife violence has decreased by 5%, and hospitals have reported a 25% decrease in admissions of knife crime victims under 25 years old. Violent offences have also reduced by 51% since 2010.

Expanding on this history, the Criminal Justice Bill will take it a step further by lengthening the most severe punishment for having prohibited weapons from 6 months to 2 years. Further, anyone who is found selling knives to individuals under 18 years old, whether it be on the internet or in person, will now be subject to a 2-year prison sentence.

A new law will grant the police extra authority to take away and demolish knives seen on personal property if there are sensible reasons to believe that the knife could be used in a severe criminal offense. Earlier, the police could not confiscate knives found while searching someone's home, even if they suspected that the knives would be used for illegal purposes.

The Home Secretary, James Cleverly, stated:

The act of using knives to harm others is still causing the loss of valuable human lives, and I am firmly committed to stopping this needless aggression.

It is imperative that we prevent perilous knives from making their way into our communities and being acquired by wrongdoers. We must prohibit their sale to minors and provide our youths with alternatives to violence.

This is the reason why I have fast-tracked the prohibition of machetes that resemble those of zombies, and the punishment for distributing knives to minors will be heightened. We will keep funding programs for young people that have successfully prevented numerous cases of violent harm.

Knives designed in the style of zombies are equally hazardous as conventional zombie knives, but they lack the unique appearance and aggressive language that provoke aggression.

According to the police, there has been a rise in the use of knives with zombie-like features for criminal activities. This trend started after the ban on such weapons was imposed in 2016. Some sellers found a way around the law and continued to sell these dangerous weapons. However, the new measures being introduced will close this loophole and prevent the sale of these weapons.

Following previous restrictions regarding knives, a plan to give up and receive payment for knives will be implemented starting August 26. More information about how this will work will be released in June.

According to Christian d'Ippolito, who is the Head of Operations at Steel Warriors:

The Steel Warriors are pleased with the initiatives taken by the government to strengthen its strict regulations against knife-related criminal activities. It is vital to prevent the availability of such dangerous knives on our streets and ensure that young people do not have access to them. These weapons should not be promoted or celebrated as they have no place in today's advanced society.

We at Steel Warriors have a strong belief that steel should be used for creating lives, not taking them away. Our approach involves melting down knives that have been confiscated, repurposing them into outdoor gym equipment, and offering free community classes. Our program aims to empower young individuals who have been affected by crime, violence, and social isolation, providing them with the courage to build a positive future for themselves.

Yesterday, the Home Secretary paid a visit to Kent Police and witnessed the positive impact of youth violence prevention initiatives which have been financially supported by the Home Office. An impartial assessment has revealed that the Violence Reduction Units established by the government in conjunction with targeted police patrols in areas identified as being violence-prone have effectively prevented roughly 3,220 cases of violent injury requiring hospitalization since 2019.

Yesterday afternoon, the Home Secretary engaged in a meeting with Yemi Hughes, who lost her child to knife violence, as well as Idris Elba and individuals associated with his 'Don't Stop Your Future' initiative. The topic of discussion was centered around the measures being taken to address severe acts of violence and identifying further steps that can be taken to combat this issue.

The law that has been proposed in Parliament will make changes to the criminal justice law that was established in 1988.