Morning:
14°c
Carrying a knife in 'hot spots' will mean prosecution says Brown
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor14.01.08
Gordon Brown has ordered zero tolerance to knife crime in London and other "hot spots" of violence.
The Prime Minister said anyone carrying a blade in these areas will be prosecuted rather than given a caution.
Mr Brown also said he wanted computer game designers to stop their characters using knives and wants a total ban on the most lethal hunting knives.
His remarks come as Home Secretary Jacqui Smith prepared to bring forward a new Violent Crime Action Plan early next month and follow a spate of fatal stabbings, including three in London last month - Faridon Alizada, 18, and 16-year-old Nassirudeen Osawe around Christmas and Jack Large, 14, at the beginning of last month.
The Prime Minister, who said he was shocked to find almost 9,000 knifewielding thugs got off with cautions last year, insisted that the nation's 12 worst-hit areas - mainly London, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and Nottingham - now operate a policy of zero-tolerance, prompted by Met Police chief Sir Ian Blair's decision last summer that officers should not give cautions to those found wielding a knife in London.
The Met and the Crown Prosecution Service said then that all offenders caught with a knife in the capital would be prosecuted and brought to court.
However, there is still concern that more than four out of five of those brought before the courts for carrying a blade escape a custodial sentence, despite a four-year maximum term.
Mr Brown said: "Society cannot cope with people carrying guns and knives and threatening to use them. There are boundaries you cannot cross - and one is this country's zero tolerance on knives."
Mr Brown also echoed David Cameron's call for the computer games industry to stamp out violence. "No one wants censorship or an interfering State. But the industry has some responsibility to society."
Mr Brown added that he wanted to outlaw sales of savage blades with no practical use for outdoor sports. "I want to look at other threatening knives - I will consider banning them."
Tories will wait to see if Mr Brown's words are matched by the actions of the Home Office. They say there have been several "summits" on knife crime but violent crime has continued to rise and unless the law is changed, ministers cannot interfere in the policing decisions of individual forces around the country.
Reader views (17)
Why have zero tolerance in only 12 areas? Make it a nationwide zero tolerance policy.
As usual Nu-Liebor have come up with a knee-jerk, half thought through approach to law and order. They will never be tough on crime!
- Sarah, London
Mr. Brown you have taken the police away from the streets and so created this problem in the first place. If there is no police to check than knives will stay. They are not scared from your speeches-only Mr. Brown.
- Lordy, London NW1
Mr. Bean Brown has not cracked down in anything he has ever tried.
- Steveo, Islington, London
There are more offensive weapons in the country than people. Slithers of glass can be most dangerous items and as for Stanley knives and razor blades a la the Glasgow gangs of yesteryears, and then beer glasses - it's all old hat Gordon. Think prisons, think preventive detention, think corrective training, think deportation where illegal foreigners are involved. That would be a good start.
- El-Cid., Hull, East Yorks.,
They banned guns and now we have more gun crime than ever.
They want to ban knives, but it has always been illegal to carry one?
These are just sound bites. When is the election?
Why not just admit the mistakes, get rid of the civil servents who invent paperwork and the idiots who motivate them, and actually put police on the streets...!
That's real police, even I have no time for these plastic imitations that pretend to do the job.
- Dene Wood, Grays, Essex
Nice to see Gordon Brown has finally taken an interest and looking forward to hearing Jacqui Smith's 'Violent Crime Action Plan', however, we've been calling on the government to introduce a zero-tolerance policy for all violent crime but to date the responses from the Home Office and Justice Dept have been totally inadequate.
- Family Of Buster Knight, London, UK
I do not believe that Nu Labor will ever be tough on crime.
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
Having had an allotment in the area for 15 years I always carry a knife in my pocket, I use it daily for cutting string but mainly in opening most of my wife's shopping, which these days is always bubble-wrapped.
As a law-abiding citizen (until now) can one of you give me the legal definition of carrying a knife?
- Paul Epps, Twickenham Middlesex
What about 'Swiss Army' style knives that were bought legally in this country? Will zero tolerance mean that ordinary law abiding citizens become criminalised yet again because of the few?
- Keith Simpson, Wareham, Dorset
Too bad Crash Brown has ordered all police to stay inside safely tucked behind their desks otherwise maybe they could have caught someone with a knife. Crash Gordon has nice words but very few actions right?!
- Georgie, London
Carrying a gun should result in a five year gaol sentence, but it does not. Judges find numerous reasons for not applying the sentence. So in a country where guns are banned teenagers are shooting each other in the streets. Why will it be any different for knives, numerous reasons will be found not to prosecute the offenders. Why will judges impose meaningful sentences on those that carry knives when they do not on those that carry guns.
- Mick, London, England
With the current liberal laws and political correctness issues, you cannot have zero tolerance towards crime, because under the lefty liberals, the criminal has just as many rights as the victim. Britain has become a holiday camp for criminals, because they are able to use these crazy laws to their advantage. Criminals love to exploit situations, and that is just what they are doing under this Labour government. Society is in meltdown, simply because you cannot keep people in check, you cannot even discipline kids, if this was to happen in the animal kingdom tomorrow, they would become extinct.
- John, London
Why limit to hotspots?
Why not if you carry a knife, anywhere, anytime, you will be prosecuted and face a custodial scentence?
- Adam, Harrow, UK
What's Brown got against computer games using knifes? Is he going to ask film and TV producer to ban knives? Will films with knives in get an 18 rating?
In games, when does a knife become a short sword? Are they to ban skinning knives from RPG games? What about common garden cutlery?
The best known melee weapon in gaming is the crowbar in HalfLife. Why just pick on the flavour of the moment melee weapon?
Essentially it's not going to happen.
- M Jordan, United Kingdom
I feel so much safer now. Who is he trying to kid?
- Squiz, Islington
Today, Gordon Brown makes a statement that 'carrying a knife will lead to prosecution' as if it is a new law he has personally introduced.
He, or I must be very confused - as I understood that carrying a knife, or any item that was regarded as being a weapon, was against the law and hence up for prosecution? Or is Brown finally admitting to the fact that the Police turn a blind eye, or give cautions far too often - when in reality they should have always have been prosecuted?
More Labour spin on a situation they have allowed to escalate completely out of control.
- Annie, London
Ah, it's good to see that our PM has now completely lost all grip on reality. Has he even considered how he's going to enforce this stupidity? Maybe he'd want to consider employing some proper policemen rather than the plastic plod PCSO's who are only fit for handing out fines. He also wants "a total ban on the most lethal hunting knives." Are some knives more lethal than others then? I always thought that stabbing someone with a knife will pretty much do them damage regardless but apparently all knives are not created equally.
- Gordo Cuckooland, London
