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Met braced for holiday violence
Rob Singh, Crime Reporter07.07.08
The Met are braced for a summer of violence as knife crime officers warn that school holidays could kickstart a surge in bloodshed at top London events.
A new 75-strong team, dedicated to stamping out stabbings, will launch an unprecedented crackdown on people carrying knives and target trigger events in London's summer calendar.
Police sources said the task force would "ratchet up the pressure" against those carrying knives, focusing on key events which attract gangs, including the Notting Hill Carnival and popular festivals.
It comes as sources say Maxine de Brunner, Commander of the new Blunt 2 taskforce, wants "to stop another young person being murdered in London".
The new crack team will use intelligence-based leads to target key problem areas, using undercover officers and high visibility patrols.
The Met sees the next two months as a key battleground in the war against knife crime.
The source said: "We are concentrating on key events and dates in the summer calendar. Borough Commanders will be working their action plans for their areas."
The source added that stop and searches will become more stringent as intelligence reveals gang members are hiding knives in their shoes to evade capture.
Knife sweeps of estates and areas will also continue to pick up hidden weapons.
Launched on Friday "with immediate effect" by Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson, the taskforce has already been deployed this weekend.
The Met refused to say where this was and said it was too early to release figures on arrests or weapons recovered.
School holidays have traditionally seen an upsurge of violence. From June to August last year nine teenagers were stabbed or shot dead.
Three teenagers have been stabbed to death since the start of June this year.
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Surely the number one priority should be hate crimes, homophobia and motoring offences.
- Sebastien W, London
Can't believe you think another young person means scum - many are the victims of crime - unprotected by this pathetic society we live in where adults never open their mouths that is why we have this going on in the first place. It's not violent people killing each other - it's mainly violent people killing an innocent victim - usually someone who has never harmed anyone - it could be your kid if you ever have one! God forbid! Our kids are scared for their lives, so are most of the parents of these kids. Scared kids can then sometimes retaliate. The victims are not protected by anyone as too much emphasis is placed on the perpetrators. Changes this around and we might see some improvement.
- Jackie, Hammersmith
75 dedicated officers for the whole of London? What a joke. Why isn't it the role of every PC to tackle knife crime? I'm sorry, I live in London and have children and I see the police and politicians doing absolutely nothing to solve the problem. Lots of words, yes; lots of running around and naive pleading after the offence, yes, but no actual action. 1200 kids recently charged with possessing knives. Everyone one of them released on bail to no doubt reoffend. Weak leadership and poor policing plays into the hands of these cowards.
- Philip, London, England
