People in Yorkshire have branded knife crime an “epidemic”, with one shopper calling for corporal punishment to be brought back as a deterrent.
It comes as the national lead for policing knife crime said forces in England and Wales are keen to cut off the supply of weapons as part of efforts to stop injuries and deaths.
Commander Stephen Clayman gave the message as underage teenagers buying knives online remains “a really concerning picture” for police, with illegal dealers selling weapons to under 18s via social media.
All police forces in England and Wales will ramp up action for a week this month as part of Operation Sceptre, and again in November and the Home Office today announced that the Government will invest a further £4million to tackle the scourge of knife crime.
The investment will see £3.5million go into the research, development and evaluation of new technologies which can detect knives carried from a distance and hand-held or body-worn systems which can be operated by individual officers.
GB News spoke to people in Hull about the issue of knife crime, with one woman in her 20s telling us that she no longer feels safe on the streets.
Locals in Yorkshire gave their reaction to the new plan to tackle knife crime
GB NEWS
Skye Swainger, 28, said: “It’s ridiculous, because you go out on a night out, and you don’t know if you’re going to return home. I’m 28 and for me, that’s one of my biggest fears.
“I was walking through St Stephen’s [shopping centre] the other day and a young kid walked past me with a machete, a kitchen knife in his hand and you just think, well what’s the world coming to?
“I don’t think it [£4million funding] will ever stop the knife crime because kids are going to get knives if they want them. I think it’s just one of them things that’s never going to be handled, no matter how much money they put in, this generation’s just absolutely awful.”
Shopper Andrew feels that there needs to be stricter punishments to prevent knife crime.
He said: “They should bring back corporal punishment, anyone who kills someone should be put to death. They shouldn’t be able to get knives online.”
David Drummond, a window cleaner, described the issue as an “epidemic”.
“The amount of crime that’s increasing year on year in the city centre like this and Leeds and Manchester, it’s an epidemic. I don’t know how you can tackle it [knife crime] when you can just walk into a hardwear store and buy something that’s potentially lethal,” he said.
Mum Abbie Barlow-Fletcher told GB News that she no longer goes into bars and clubs in Hull on an evening due to knife crime.
She said: “I just think it’s absolutely ridiculous. I won’t go out into town on a night out anymore because I just know that they’re stupid with it and I do know people whose family have been affected by knife crime in the city centre.
“I just think that people need to be more sensible, because what’s the point of ruining your life in jail for something that can be sorted out elsewhere other than crime.
Pensioner Malcolm Rodgers told GB News that he believes the problem of knife crime is much worse amongst this generation.
“They’re dangerous the ones [knives] they get nowadays, I mean, when I was a kid all kids used to carry [pocket] knives but nobody got stabbed,” he said.
“They’re just stabbing anyone nowadays, it’s ridiculous, you’re not safe anywhere. I don’t know if it’s [£4million] is enough to tackle knife crime really, I don’t have much faith in the police, you don’t see them, they’re never about.
“They should stop the sales of these knives online or anywhere.”
Michelle Kwakkenbnos said: “I feel it should be more regulation. Young people should not be able to buy knives that easily online.”
On stop and search powers for the police, she added: “I think protecting the public is more important than the freedom of walking around without it, especially if crimes have been going up.
Official figures show knife crime rose by 7 per cent in the year to December 2023. In the year to March 2023, 82 per cent of teenage homicide victims were killed with a knife, compared to 73 per cent in the previous year.
Laws around zombie knives, machetes and swords will be tightened up from September, giving police greater powers to seize weapons found in private properties. It will be illegal to possess, sell, manufacture or transport zombie-style knives and machetes.
The maximum penalty for the possession of these and other banned weapons will also increase from six months to two years. A surrender and compensation scheme is due to launch this summer.
