Saving Lives By Tackling Knives - Increased Action in England to Tackle Knife Crime

Over 55,000 people have been stopped and searched, 2,500 arrests have been made for knife-related offenses and over 1,600 knives have been seized since the Government’s new Tackling Knives Action Programme (TKAP) was launched on 5 June, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced today.

The TKAP is based on the successful Tackling Gangs Action Programme which delivered a significant reduction in gun-related injuries across the four Police force areas involved.

The forces participating in the Tackling Knives Action Programme have also stepped up activity engaging young people and are committed to providing specific educational packages for schools and events informing young people of the dangers of carrying knives. They are working closely with hospitals to share data on knife injuries and will be carrying out home visits and sending letters to parents of young people where intelligence suggests they are carrying knives.

In the Metropolitan Police Force area alone, as a result of increased police enforcement activity and more recently an expectation of prosecution, the number of people charged with possession of a bladed article or knife since 1 April 2008 has increased 150 per cent compared to the same period in 2007. Only three per cent of people stopped and searched by Operation Blunt officers have been found to be carrying knives.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:

“The tragic deaths of Conor James Black in Manchester and Nilanthan Murddi in Croydon show why the work of the action program is so important. If you carry a knife you are now more likely to get caught, more likely to be prosecuted and more likely to go to prison if found guilty.

“Knife crime is a complex issue which we all need to work together to solve. Enforcement action is only one part of the solution. I am pleased that later today the England football team will be supporting our marketing campaign ‘It doesn’t have to happen’ urging young people not to carry knives.

“I want to reinforce our commitment to tackling knives and getting them off our streets. Working with the police, local authorities, the health service and partners like the FA, we’ll do all we can to protect young people, their families and communities from the fear and grief of knife crime.”

In addition, police forces involved in the Tackling Knives Action Programme are working closely with local hospitals to ensure that they exchange vital information on knife injuries. Interim guidance issued by the General Medical Council on 5 August makes clear that the police should be told whenever a person arrives at hospital with a wound inflicted in a violent attack with a knife.

The Home Secretary also announced the provision of an extra 85 search arches and 566 search wands to the ten forces involved, in addition to the 350 wands and 100 arches already provided nationally.

Source: Home Office

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