Knife Crime - Open Letter

Dear Editor,

Our local Labour MPs seem to have all the wrong priorities.

They have voted in support of closing local post offices, in favour of detaining suspected terrorists without charge for up to 42 days, yet seem unable to come up with measures to halt the growing menace of knife crime.

We need practical measures to bring terrorists to justice. We want to see terrorists charged, tried, convicted and put behind bars. The Government narrowly won a vote to detain suspects who have not been charged with any offence whatsoever. Innocent people could be detained unjustifiably. Why has the Government decided on 42 days? In all the cases where suspected terrorists have been detained, either charges have been made or the suspects released well within the existing limits. The Government has not been able to demonstrate the case for this draconian measure. The lesson of internment without trial in Ireland proves that this type of measure creates martyrs and is ineffective.

18 young people have already lost their lives this year alone to knife crime. Reports suggest that 1 in 4 young people carry knives for “self defence”. Many of the stabbings have taken place in or near to licensed premises. The only certain way of stopping people from using knives is to prevent them from being carried. Educating young people on the tragic results of using knives in fights is one method but the carrying of knives as concealed weapons can only be eliminated by clear and unambiguous punishments.

There should be clear, mandatory prison sentences for all those caught carrying knives, there should be a mandatory prison sentence for anyone who uses a knife to endanger another human being and that the sentences should be rigorously enforced. Young people will then understand that they will be severely punished if they choose to carry a knife.

The Government also needs to provide the police with enhanced powers of stop and search. The bureaucratic workload of form filling needs to be reduced to allow police more time to help remove the growing menace of knives in our society. These measures require pressure from MPs for appropriate legislation, not hoping that society will change by itself without strong intervention.

Yours sincerely,

Bob Blackman

Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Harrow East