Blunt Message To Ealing's Knife-wielding Attackers

Three week crackdown on knife crime

A three-week high visibility campaign to combat knife crime was launched this week by the Ealing police.

Despite knife-enabled crime falling by 3.7% in London over the last 12 months, there have recently been several highly publicised murders involving young people. So this campaign appears to be as much about allaying people's fears as about deterring knife holders.

A key strand of Operation Blunt will be education, with officers working closely with schools and Knife Surrender Bins in place at Ealing, Acton and Southall police stations.

Detective superintendent Julian Worker said: "We all have a responsibility to help educate our young that knives are not glamorous but are potentially lethal.

"We are working hard with our schools to prevent a repeat of the recent tragic event in Hammersmith from occurring in Ealing.

"We recognise that dealing effectively with knife-enabled crime is an essential part of making Ealing and London streets safer for all of our communities.

"It is hoped that the latest campaign will assist in reducing the level of knife-enabled crime and reduce the routine carrying our possession of knives - which carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison."

Research carried out by the National Youth Agency in September 2006 suggests that carrying knives is more common than using them.

Fear and victimisation is however one of the principal reasons why young people carry and brandish a knife. Some young people decide to carry a knife with the intention to scare, harass or steal.

In certain circles possession of a knife may bring status. More generally, peer influences and fashion also seem to play a part in encouraging young people to carry knives.

The group most likely to be a perpetrator or a victim of knife enabled violence and robbery are the 15 - 19 year old males and our first concern is to raise awareness of the damage done by knives and to press home our message - don't carry knives for protection; it is unlawful and it is dangerous.

Councillor Sue Emment (Con, Greenford Green), cabinet member for safer communities, said: "Recent undercover operations have caught a quarter of retailers selling knives to under-age cadet volunteers.

"In many cases this is due to ignorance of the law rather malicious intent - but there is no excuse for selling dangerous age-restricted goods like to young people.

"The council is stamping out this irresponsible behaviour by regularly carrying out random checks and taking further action where necessary."

The last Operation Blunt initiative, which ran from October to November last year, led to 45 arrests for offences such as possession of offensive weapons, possession of bladed articles, drugs offences, robbery, burglary, handling stolen goods and ABH.

Knives recovered included kitchen knives, lock knives, flick knives and a commando style-sheath knife.

May 10, 2007