PM Sunak Inspects Confiscated Knives and Promises Tough Action
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, accompanied by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley, visited Kilburn police station in North West London yesterday. The purpose of the visit was to inspect a collection of long-bladed knives that had been seized from individuals at the recent Notting Hill Carnival. Eight people were stabbed at the event on Monday, highlighting the urgent need for action against knife-related violence.
Ministers Plan to Ban Long-Bladed Weapons
The government is planning to ban long-bladed weapons that have no practical use and to give the police more powers to seize them. This move is a response to the increasing number of knife thugs avoiding prison, as reported earlier this week. Suspended sentences for knife offenders have more than doubled in the past decade, while cautions and fines have decreased. With the prison population in Britain already at a record high, the government aims to ensure that dangerous criminals are behind bars and that neighborhoods are better protected.
Labour Calls Out Government's Inaction
Labour's Shadow Justice Secretary, Steve Reed, accused the Tories of being "missing in action in the fight against knife crime." He emphasized the devastating impact of knife crime on young lives, families, and communities, and pledged that the Labour Party would deliver the prison places needed, as well as increase the number of police officers. The party aims to halve knife crime within a decade if they come to power.
Rise in Jail Sentences for Knife Crime
The Ministry of Justice has stated that there has been an increase in the number of individuals being sent to jail for knife crime. The figure has risen from 4,611 in 2013 to 5,798 so far this year. However, as more offenders are locked up, Britain's prisons are facing overcrowding issues, with approximately 6,000 more inmates in the past year alone.
