Tackling knife crime before it's too late

The UK is experiencing a knife crime epidemic according to the media, some politicians and statisticians.

Admittedly, all of those groups should be questioned and challenged for their spin at times but, also, the facts are that some stats don't lie. 

London has seen more than 27 knife related deaths since the start of this year and, according to the Office of National Statistics, police across England and Wales recorded nearly 41,000 offences involving knives or sharp instruments in 2018 - that's a rise of 6% on the year before. 

Fortunately we don't see that level of violence on our streets in Wiltshire; in fact our latest figures show an 18% drop in recorded incidents where a knife or similar weapon was used.

However, the police here are not complacent because we all know that despite the decrease and despite living in one of the safest counties in the country, we're not immune from knife crime and the devastation it causes.  Leafy Wiltshire still has the same social issues that the larger cities do - deprivation, drugs and violence - some of the underlying causes of knife crime.

Tackling knife crime is part of the police's daily business; officers carry out stop and searches, make arrests and, equally as important, do preventative work in schools and colleges alongside other partners.

Early intervention is a major part of this partnership working - getting to the youngsters before they turn to use a blade - destroying someone else's life and also their own.  

At Swindon Crown Court this week my deputy Jerry Herbert spent a morning with pupils from the Oakfield Project, which offers an alternative to teenagers who struggle with traditional schooling.  They were looking at the implications of knife crime on victims, offenders, family, friends and first responders.  It was inspiring and hopefully those students were so moved they will never pick up a knife in anger. 

This is one of many initiatives being used to tackle knife crime - there are many others.

Recently I talked about the new Youth Restorative Intervention Panel - a multi-agency group set up for first time offenders which considers alternative disposals to Youth Cautions.  This allows the perpetrator not to be necessarily criminalised but dealt with through restorative justice; this is where a managed meeting is set up between victim and offender to help victims try to achieve "closure" and to help stop offenders from getting caught in the endless spiral of re-offending.  

The prevention work I support and see going on in and around Wiltshire Police and other agencies continues apace - the sole aim is to stop youngsters from making that first flawed step of carrying a knife to threaten, maim or kill.

If one youngster can be made to see the danger of knives, the serious consequences and the devastating ripples caused if used, and then ultimately leaves that weapon alone, then the work we are all doing to stop this awful type of crime is working.