Proposals for a knife amnesty, backed by Local London Assembly Member, Joanne McCartney AM, will be considered by the Mayor of London and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, it has been confirmed. Joanne McCartney AM backed calls for a London wide amnesty following a serious rise in stabbings in the capital and an increase in the number of teenagers stabbed to death. Ms McCartney said “we’re one step closer to getting more of these weapons off the streets”.
The latest data from the Metropolitan Police shows that across the capital knife crime with injury rose by 8% in the last year, with 3,665 incidents in the year to November 2015, compared with 3,383 in the previous twelve months. Nearly half of incidents in the last year involved young people with 1,661 incidents of knife crime with injury involving a victim under 25 during that period, an increase of 7% on the year before. In 2015, 15 teenagers were stabbed to death in the capital.
In Haringey knife crime with injury for amongst under 25s has jumped 63% in the last twelve months compared with the same period, the 12 months to November, the year before.
During Mayor’s Question Time on 16th December Boris Johnson responded to calls for a knife amnesty, saying “I think that the amnesty proposal is something that should be considered.” The Mayor said he would consult Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan Howe, about the proposal. When asked about the possibility of an amnesty at a London Assembly Police and Crime Committee meeting on 17th December, the Commissioner responded “we’re having a look at how we might do this.”
Ms McCartney said it was important the Mayor “recognises the positive impact allowing people to hand over their knives without fear of prosecution could have.”
Local London Assembly Member for Enfield and Haringey, Joanne McCartney AM, said:
“With both the Mayor and Commissioner now agreeing to look at our proposals for a knife amnesty, we’re one step closer to getting more of these weapons off the streets where they can do so much damage.
“After the recent increase in the number of young people stabbed to death in the capital the last thing anybody wants to see is another life lost and another family devastated by these horrendous acts.
“Whilst an amnesty is only part of the solution, it’s important the Mayor recognises the positive impact allowing people to hand over their knives without fear of prosecution could have.”
Notes to editors
Notes
- A webcast of Mayor’s Question Time can be found here, the relevant section is approximately 18 minutes in.
- A webcast of the Police and Crime Committee meeting can be found here, the relevant section is approximately 1 hour 18 minutes in.
- The table below sets out the rise in Knife Crime with Injury across London in the twelve months to November 2015, the latest complete data available. The source data, from the Metropolitan Police, is available here.
- In the 12 months to November 2015, there were 1,661 incidents of knife crime with injury with victims Under 25, compared with 1,558 in the previous 12 months. Data for Knife Crime with Injury with victims Under 25 is collated by MOPAC. These figures can be found here and a table is available upon request.
- Knife crime is defined as:
MPS Knife Crime definition aligns with the former Home Office (APACS) guidance and is a measure identifying offences that satisfy both of the following criteria:
1. The offence is a confirmed classification relating to one of the following Home Office Offence Groupings: Murder, Attempted murder, Threats to kill, Manslaughter, Infanticide, Wounding or carrying out an act endangering life, Wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent, Actual Bodily Harm, Sexual assault, Rape, Robbery.
2. A feature code identifying weapon usage (countable as knife crime) has been added to the crime report.
- Knife crime with injury is defined as:
Offence Count - All offences of knife crime where a knife or sharp instrument used to injure.
- Fifteen teenagers lost their lives to knife attacks in London in 2015.
- Joanne McCartney AM is the London Assembly Member for Enfield and Haringey