Top 5 Ways to Prevent Knife Crime
What is Knife Crime?
The simple definition of knife crime is literally a crime that involves a knife.This could be many scenarios such as :
➔ Stabbing/murdering someone with a knife
➔ Robbery or burglary where a knife has been brandished as a weapon
➔ Carrying a knife in public areas
➔ Attempting to purchase a knife when under the age of 18
Today we are going to discuss the top 10 ways to prevent knife crime in the UK
Stop and search is a method used by the police in which they search members of the public for any weapons they may be carrying. This is done in a random fashion and has led to the seizing of over 1000 weapons and multiple arrests. This solely has prevented many stabbings as criminals have been apprehended.
There is little evidence to suggest that stop and search provides an effective deterrent to offending. Stop and search is more effective at detection but still most searches result in officers finding nothing.
2). Youth Clubs
A youth club is a club where young people can go to meet each other and take part in various leisure activities. There has been a direct correlation between the increase in knife crime and the decline in youth clubs. Youth clubs provide a safe haven in which youths can benefit from. Different youths from surrounding areas can create relationships that could easily prevent conflict as there is a common ground between them. Unfortunately the amount of money invested in these projects has been reduced as governments focus on other areas. Could this be the true cause of the increase in knife crime?
3). Metal Detectors
Metal detectors are devices that people step through and it detects metal . It can determine whether they have a concealed knife on them. The metal detector can detect metal objects so therefore will be an indicator that someone is carrying a weapon/knife. It is very effective as it is hard to deceive the device and if there is metal present it will detect it. It is very convenient because the individual does not need to be strip searched. This means that it can be placed in public areas without hassle.
4). Atoma Union
Atoma Union is a Youth oriented business where we aim to solve social issues such as knife crime and teen mental health issues by bringing the youth of Birmingham together through free courses, workshops and events for free. How we do it is we offer courses and workshops for young people who have been affected by knife crime and mental health, helping them to get a job ,and a source of income so that they can move away from a life of crime and earn money in a safe environment. By giving the youth transferable skills, they can learn there are safer ways to earn income in comparison to county lines and other illgal schemes. This easy they gain experience that they can exact in other roles and it inspires them to access higher education such as University and apprenticeships. Schemes that help oiyt the youth are very effective as it is not a quick fix, it is a foundation in which the youth can build on to be successful in life. This is a deterrent against knife crime.
5). Increasing Sanctions for Knife Possession
For possession of a knife that is longer than 3 inches you can be imprisoned for up to 4 years with an unlimited fine if prosecuted. 4 years is a long time to serve for just having possession of a knife however if this was increased to 10 years it will be more effective at stopping individuals from carrying one. The more years added to the sentence the less likely someone will patrol the public with a weapon on them. Also if the unlimited fine was made an exact, definite fine, such as £10,000, it would be more effective as the offender would know the severity of the crime.
