Memorandum submitted by the Metropolitan
Police Service
1. SUMMARY
1.1 This paper seeks to assist in the debate
about tackling knife crime by providing an overview of the London
experience. The MPS have been developing its response to knife
crime for some time and although there is still much work to be
done, it believes that the response is appropriate and will significantly
reduce the carriage and use of weapons in public space.
2. DATA
Availability and reliability
2.1 The MPS Performance Information Bureau
produces and quality assures extensive data on knife crime.
2.2 Following the introduction of the new
national "serious knife crime" definition, which is
part of the National Indicator set and APACS, the Assessment of
Policing and Community Safety, the MPS has completed an extensive
review of its knife crime data. This exercise ensured that data
from April 2007 onwards complied with the new definition.
2.3 This change in definition has made longer
term comparisons invalid and the MPS would prefer that a definition
for "serious knife crime" was restricted to knives and
other purpose designed instruments, rather than the existing definition
which includes pins and pens as "sharp instruments".
Knife Carrying Offences
2.4 The number of police detections for
possession of a knife or sharp instrument has significantly increased
in London. For the period 1 April 2008 to 31 August 2008 there
where 1,668 police detections compared with 867 in the same period
in 2007. This reflects the current protracted enforcement activity.
2.5 The use of stop and search in this context
is essentially intended as a preventative measure to provide an
effective deterrent to the carriage of knives. The recent decline
in possession offences provides cautious optimism that the use
of stop and search is having the intended effect.
Hotspots
2.6 The MPS has been seeking to identify
and fill intelligence gaps in order to gain a more comprehensive
picture and understanding of the extent and nature of knife crime.
2.7 A programme being developed involves
London Hospitals sharing depersonalised information concerning
assaults inflicted by the use of knives. It is strongly believed
that not all knife related incidents are reported to police therefore
valuable information regarding locations, individuals involved
and reasons for such incidents are lost. Hospital doctors cite
alcohol as a feature in knife injury cases they treat.
2.8 London hotspots do not significantly
shift over time irrespective of enforcement campaigns. This reinforces
the fact that "enforcement" alone is not the solution.
Offender Profiles
2.9 All the statistics shown in this section
relate to the period covering 1 April 2008 to 31 August 2008.
2.10 In respect of knife possession most
common age category for persons proceeded against[44]
by the MPS was 18 to 29 accounting for 41%. The second highest
was the under 18 category accounting for 27%.
2.11 In respect of knife crime offences
the largest group of persons proceeded against are in the 18 to
29 age category representing 41%, with those under 18 accounting
for 31%. The 30 to 39 age category represents only 14%.
2.12 In knife crime victim profiles the
18 to 29 age category accounts for 39% and the under 18 category
accounts for 24%. The 30 to 39 age category accounts for 17% of
knife crime victims.
Public Perception of levels of knife crime
2.13 The August 2008 statistics which cover
the period from 1 April to 31 August 2008 show that knife crime
(excluding possession offences) fell by 9.1% compared to the same
period in 2007.
2.14 However, due to media exposure of the
knife related fatalities it is believed that the public perception
of knife crime is distorted and that they believe knife crime
has risen or is out of control.
3. CAUSES
Reasons for carrying and use
3.1 Knives are easily obtainable and the
reasons for people carrying them are cited as self protection
or as a fashion accessory. In addition knives are carried with
the intention of committing criminal acts such as street robbery
and assaults.
Availability of knives
3.2 Knives are easily obtainable in shops,
from catalogues and on the internet. They include different types
such as pen knives, domestic knives, specialist knives, ie, hunting,
combat, survival, etc, and prohibited knives listed in the Criminal
Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) Order 1988. The MPS carries
out significant activity with Trading Standards and other partners
to combat illegal sale.
Current Legislation
3.3 Laws restricting the sale, carrying,
use and production of knives are contained in a number of pieces
of legislation.
3.4 However knives cannot be legislated
against in the same fashion as guns. Anecdotal evidence shows
that the most common knife used in knife crime is a domestic knife.
These type of items if found on a person in a public place fall
within existing legislation. Therefore any additional legislation
is unwarranted at this time.
4. SOLUTIONS
Prevention—Education, parents and community
projects
4.1 The MPS has a prevention plan to reduce
serious youth violence that puts in place a range of universal,
targeted and specialist youth engagement programmes to address
youth violence. It will build on a structured risk assessment
process (Youth Safety Assessment Tool). When this has been shared
with partners individual plans will be produced to address the
identified risk. This is being piloted in Greenwich and Lewisham
and being extended to eight other Boroughs.
4.2 This process will be used to target
programmes on knife awareness, as developed within the "Stolen
Lives" programme, Junior Citizen, Be-Safe, and Miss Dorothy.com
programmes, delivered in schools, youth clubs and other places
where young people meet all over London by combinations of teachers,
police officers, and trained practitioners.
4.3 Other key prevention initiatives include:
Diamond Districts—enhanced Safer Neighbourhood
Teams working with a team from other agencies will seek to rehabilitate
and reduce re-offending rates amongst those offenders regularly
subject to short terms of imprisonment who reside in specific
areas. The Teams will comprise MPS police officers and PCSOs working
with expert support from a range of criminal justice agencies.
There are currently six nominated Diamond Districts in London.
Youth Offender Detention—work is being
progressed with the Prison Service to ensure that detention is
kept within local, London-based youth offending institutions.
This is intended to strengthen links to local rehabilitation services
and similarly reduce re-offending rates through close monitoring
coupled with enhanced support.
Pathways—an initiative intended to target
violent offenders operating in street gangs through the provision
of direct support coupled with close monitoring and police-led
enforcement.
4.4 The importance of linking prevention
interventions is recognised by the MPS Youth Strategy by ensuring
that schemes such as Diamond Districts, Wave Trust's family intervention
programmes, Pathways, and the Prince's Trust Programmes, are all
part of a co-ordinated prevention plan.
Police Operations, amnesties and enforcement
4.5 In London enforcement operations have
been a feature for several years. The latest operation, "Blunt
2" has been operating continuously since May of this year.
4.6 The focus of our enforcement operations
is to tackle dangerous people and dangerous places at specific,
dangerous times. All activity is led by best intelligence and
analysis of victims, offenders and locations/venues.
4.7 Operation Alliance, commencing in November
2007, targeted 420 individuals from 22 known street gangs in south
London. To date some 150 (35%) of these offenders remain in custody
following arrests, prosecutions and sentencing.
4.8 Since Operation Blunt 2 started across
London on 19 May 2008, all boroughs have been undertaking operations
to target the dangerous places, through stop and search and associated
tactics, and dangerous people by targeting an additional 250 offenders
across the MPS. Some 49 (20%) offenders from this group are currently
in custody following police operations to arrest and prosecute
for a range of criminal activity.
4.9 Since 4 July 2008 Operation Blunt 2
has also deployed a central Task Force comprising 100 officers
(uniform and detectives) supporting Boroughs to tackle street
gangs and others involved in the carriage and use of knives.
4.10 The use of Stop and search powers under
section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence (PACE) Act 1984
and section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
have significantly increased in key areas providing enhanced public
reassurance to communities.
4.11 This tactic is vital to detect and
deter knife carrying and also provides police with important intelligence.
There is significant community engagement and support in respect
of these police operations.
4.12 The focus of activity against the dangerous
people continues to be the individuals and gangs that cause the
most harm, identified through our intelligence processes and targeted
by dedicated asset at both Borough and London-wide levels; and
violent offenders brought to justice through prompt arrest, charge
and prosecution wherever the opportunities arise.
4.13 In relation to dangerous places and
dangerous times, the focus is on:
Regular deployments of officers to undertake
stop and search, utilising Section 60, in those places exhibiting
the greatest occurrence of knife crime to create an environment
hostile to the routine carriage of weapons, particularly knives.
Neighbourhood weapon sweeps deployed routinely
to detect and remove weapons concealed in public space.
Deployments to ensure the safety of young people
before and after school/college, including public transport routes
and interchanges.
Operations to ensure the safety of those attending
public events where there is a risk of weapon carriage and/or
serious youth violence.
Work to ensure that events held in private and/or
licensed premises are adequately planned and managed to prevent
weapon carriage and related violence.
4.14 To date, Operation Blunt 2 has involved
over 126,000 searches, over 5,000 arrests, and the recovery of
more than 2,900 knives.
4.15 Community engagement is an important
element of Operation Blunt 2. Tactics used are discussed with
communities across London. This has been a central feature of
activity in order that enforcement is designed and delivered in
collaboration with the community. This enhanced level of community
engagement under Blunt 2 will continue, including significant
and ongoing engagement with young people through the emerging
school-based youth panels serviced by Safer Neighbourhood Teams.
4.16 The last pan-London knife amnesty was
held in 2006. Although such initiatives are useful for raising
public awareness of knife crime and removing unwanted knives from
circulation there is no evidence to suggest they reduce knife
related offences.
4.17 Although enforcement activity is important,
prevention and diversion schemes both locally and centrally are
of equal importance. The Police clearly cannot solve the knife
crime problem alone.
4.18 A key element in success will be the
partnership working with other agencies/organisations across London,
including:
Effective data sharing to ensure that information
regarding identified gang nominals held by all agencies is made
available for enforcement and prevention activity.
Support for extended schools and youth service
provision directed towards those individuals known to be at risk
of involvement in violence.
Specific support for new disruption tactics,
including the use of child protection powers through local Safeguarding
Children Boards.
Support for enhanced communication with parents
and others who can exert control and reduce risk of involvement
with gangs.
Support from the internet service providers for
pro-active work to prevent the use of the internet to glamorise
and plan gang-related violence.
Licensing enforcement where this is a feature
in serious youth violence/knife crime.
Problem solving activity in locations identified
as hotspots for serious youth violence/knife crime.
Convictions, penalties and sentencing
4.19 The comments by the President of the
High Court Queen's Bench Division, Judge Sir Igor Judge, regarding
the prosecution of people caught in possession of a knife or offensive
weapon is welcomed and has demonstrated the clear and positive
message that the CJS is joined-up in tackling this issue.
4.20 The MPS has tried to evaluate the impact
of sentencing but have found that the data is not easily accessible
and have had to undertake a bureaucratic dip sample of two separate
weeks, which is yet to fully inform the debate on this issue.
5. CONCLUSION
5.1 The MPS is confident that the range
of operational tactics it is using to combat knife crime are being
and will continue to be effective, complemented by the partnership
and prevention activity we are engaged in. However this is not
an issue that will be resolved in the short term and the MPS is
committed to continuing with this activity for as long as necessary.
Medium and longer term solutions are required that harness the
energy and resources of a wide range of organisations, delivered
in conjunction with communities.
October 2008
44 By persons proceeded against we mean people who
have been arrested and had further action taken against them,
including charge, caution, summons, TIC, PND. Back
| 
