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Airport-style scanners on the streets
Justin Davenport, Crime Correspondent14.05.08
Police are to use hundreds of airport-style and hand-held weapon detectors in the crackdown on knife crime.
Teams of 15 officers will be deployed across the 10 boroughs in London that have recorded the most knife crime.
Assistant Commissioner Tim Godwin, head of territorial policing in the capital, said officers would be deployed in areas blighted by stabbings to stop and search teenagers suspected of carrying weapons.
Police admit the "in your face policing" is expected to raise community tensions in some areas.
But they say they are getting significant support from communities desperate for them to crack down on the problem.
Officers will use contentious Section 60 powers to enforce effective "no-go" areas for people carrying knives.
The powers enable officers to stop people and search them without the need to have "reasonable suspicion" that they are engaged in wrong doing.
There has been criticism of the powers because research has found it hits black communities disproportionately.
Stop and search has been strongly criticised in the past but police say there is now more support for the action - provided it it is done with sensitivity.
Mr Godwin said community groups across London were being consulted. He added: "There are victims in all our communities and law-abiding citizens from all walks of life actually want us to stop this problem.
"There will always be some who take issue with it, but we have to justify what we are doing by driving down the number of stabbings we are getting in London.
"Our objective is not about harassing anybody. It's about making everybody as safe as we possibly can in London."
One Metropolitan Police Authority member, barrister Peter Herbert, criticised the plan today. He said: "It will undoubtedly lead to more stop and search, and more racist stop and searches where people are stopped on the basis of their appearance or ethnicity.
"The MPA was not consulted and it should have been. It is another example of policy being manufactured on the hoof for political expediency."
It is understood Boris Johnson's deputy mayor for policing, Kit Malthouse, was involved in discussions on the plan but other MPA members were not informed.
Search teams of officers are using a total of 550 metal-detecting wands and 244 airport-style detection arches.
Reader views (25)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
And just by the way, the spreading of hate propaganda is prohibited.
Posted by Tina, London, UK
Exactly what isn't prohibited over there?
- Mike L, Missouri, USA
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty or safety." ~ Benjamin Franklin
I will continue to live a free man, to carry my unregistered H&K USP .45 caliber pistol openly on my hip wherever in Virginia I may roam: Yorktown, Williamsburg, Jamestown, the hills, beaches, towns, and cities, everywhere.
And in our capitol of Richmond, where all of our legislators meet once a year - I will once again walk proudly through the doors of the General Assembly and meet face-to-face with my Senators and delegates...all while proudly displaying my tool of freedom on my hip...my pistol.
If any brothers in freedom and liberty visit Virginia, please contact me - I will arm you and we will enjoy each others company. I promise to arrange a dinner where dozens of other freedom loving American men will join us in a dinner feast, American style, out on the town, armed and free.
- Chet Szymecki, Yorktown, Virginia, USA
No worries. The pen is mightier than the sword, or in this case knife, anyway. Wait, can that pen be used as a weapon? Here, we'll be collecting those too. A once proud nation is now hopelessly dependent on their government. Oh well, the US isn't far behind, but I think you'll see a bit more fight out of us at least.
- Pd, SA USA
"The innocent have nothing to fear"
Posted by Bob Burns, Dali, Yunnan, China
Seriously, isn't this an Adolf Hitler quote?
- Dan, Washington DC, USA
I can't believe that the country that gave us the Magna Carta and ideas such as freedom of speech is turning into a Nazi or Communist style police state over one bombing (7/7). The IRA war ended 15 years ago so don't give me that excuse. Mean while they are letting the Muslims pour into the country "whilst" complaining about how the very same Muslims are publicly announcing that they want to bring down the UK. Sounds to me like they want civil strife to use as an excuse to deliver the final blow the the free people of the UK. The "they" being the Globalist/New World Order (NWO) crowd who do not hide the fact that they despise free people.
- Jason, Fairfax, USA
The vast majority of knife crime is committed by blacks and people under 25. Therefore, those demographics should be stopped and searched daily. And that would result in a drop in crime.
- Joseph, London. UK
Anyone see the movie "V for Vendetta?" This is kind of like that. Minority report policing is next. It won't happen in the United States because we will assassinate, and destroy our government which seeks to steal our God given freedoms. We'll do it with knives, and guns. You name it!
- Yankee Doodle, Dayton, Ohio
Do you seriously believe guns are safer than knives? At least with a knife you can only kill one person at a time, not mow down a whole schoolclass in seconds, as we hear it so often from the "land of the free". Right to bear arms? Knifes are arms too! And just by the way, the spreading of hate propaganda is prohibited.
- Tina, London, UK
I don't claim to know about all the horrible fatal stabbings over the past two years. In the cases I do know about, the killers did not live very far from the victims and walked a short distance to the crime scene.
If an increase in screening and searching is to deter youths from carrying knives, it will have to be based on the best of intelligence-led policing.
- Alan Griffiths, Forest Gate, LONDON. UK
What's next, just meet each citizen at his own front door every morning for his daily cavity search? The nanny state just grows stronger and stronger. No need for freedom or personal responsibility in your life any longer, just follow directions and you can be on your way. Lemmings, the cliff is this way!
- Civilnomore, prescott arizona
The innocent have nothing to fear
- Bob Burns, Dali, Yunnan, China
It's about time serious stop and search was brought back. Everyone knows it works because if criminals knew there was a high risk of being stopped and searched if they went out, they would stop carrying knives and other weapons. Law abiding people have nothing to fear from this and everything to gain. The pc brigade has had its way since MacPherson.
- Huw Morgan, London
When knives are outlawed, only outlaws will have knives.
- Carl, Arizona, USA
London continues to lose its status as representative of freedom and the rule of law. You are indeed lost if your leaders and your people think more intrusion is the solution to anything. How cheaply you have squandered your liberties.
- Anonymous, Moscow, Russia
What constitutes as a "dangerous" knife? If I'm carrying a 2.5in blade like I have since the days I was a scout, is that subject for confiscation or ticketing?
- Steve, London
Big Brother trying to keep us safe from ourselves... did it ever occur to them to let people take care of it themselves. People will only be pushed so far before they fight back on the criminals.
- Henk, e345
You chaps in England are unbelievable. You give more and more of your freedom for a little bit of perceived safety...soon you will have no freedom and no safety. Ignorant slaves in a brave new world. You want to cut down on stabbings - legalize concealed carry firearms.
- Dick Juron, Buffalo NY
This is a dark moment for the UK. The free world has fought wars to prevent the kinds of checkpoints used in countries run by Hitler and Stalin.
The UK needs to legalize self-defense and a right to keep and bear arms (yes, I mean guns).
It will be a cold day in Hell before I submit to this kind of searching of my person. I would take up arms to end this foul practice first. Are there only sheep and criminals in the UK?
- Paul Huebl, Los Angeles
So they can just stop anyone, and take their pocket knife.
And they don't even need a reason to stop and search people?
What will they be allowed to take next? scissors? knitting needles? Scary movies? "Hate propaganda?" How far will this be allowed to go? How many freedoms will be traded in for "safety?"
- C.W.Holeman Iii, USA
I didn't think London could be any more of a police state. I've carried a knife since I was eight years old, and never stabbed anyone. Luckily, the only place I can't carry one here is on an airplane.
- Lincmercguy, Colorado
Someday, the 'smart' people in England will realize that if they ban knives, they won't have this problem...(sarcasm)
- Mark, Laguna Niguel, CA. USA
This is ridiculous. The country where freedom was born has become somewhere nobody will even visit. Leave people alone! Life's dangerous, deal with it.
- Mr Bill, NY USA
Allow law abiding citizens the right to own guns and carry then concealed and you can save a lot of time, effort, and money in setting this up.
An armed society is a polite society.
- Simon Saiz, London
This is amazing! People are now bowing down to Martial Law! Might as well send in the tanks and unmanned robots to control the herd. Watch out Big Brother is watching you! Smile for your CCTVs!
- Mathew, Oregon/ United states
Great idea, but is there really any point if they only get a slapped wrist when caught?
You need stiff sentencing to back this up, otherwise it's just PR.
- Neil Grinsell, London
