London is amongst one of the worst cities in England for knife crime, with a disgraceful 35% of all incidents involving a knife or sharp object across England and Wales taking place. However, in the year ending March 2019, there were approximately 47,100 offences involving a knife or a sharp object recorded by the police in England and Wales. This was the highest ever recorded in the United Kingdom for a nine-year series. Chief executive of Barnardo’s children’s charity Javed Khan stated, ‘Urgent action must be taken to break the spiral of violence’.
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has dedicated a violent crime taskforce of roughly 300 police officers focusing on the areas which are affected exceedingly by knife crime. He is also providing 15 million annually to support its progression.
However, some of the British Public question why Sadiq has taken 18 months to act decisively on knife crime? Knife crime is highlighted in Sadiq’s 10 priorities for London during his campaign for mayor in 2016, but during his time as mayor, we have seen a minute progression in combating knife crime. Besides, this year almost 9 in 10 crimes involving a knife or a sharp object in England and Wales were robberies or violent assaults which demonstrates the mayor is not making an integral difference to this extremely detrimental issue.
In order to slash the rate of knife crime, it has been argued that the UK Government should introduce opportunities available for young people, particularly those living in communities where criminal lifestyles are common. Through these youth schemes, young Londoners would be able to become empowered to change their lives, and potentially enter the job market or higher education, some being the first in their families to reach university. The Government could fund more mentors who can connect with young people and support them and advise a route without trouble for their careers. Furthermore, schools can educate children by planning lessons and thinking carefully about how they can connect with children who are growing up in disadvantaged communities.
With protests happening throughout England, the Government should listen to our views and acknowledge them. This can be done by delivering actions which help against the fight against this significant issue. Also, they should work with charities, schools, and councils to help combat knife crime and help prevent young people from carrying a knife. London needs to become safe again.
