Are the government now going to get tough on knife crime?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....months-picked-on.html

/// When the Tories came to power, they pledged to jail anyone caught carrying a blade, but this has since been ditched after ministers baulked at the cost of locking up another 8,200 offenders at any one time. ///

/// A new law, awaiting Royal Assent, will now hand mandatory jail terms to adults and 16 and 17-year-olds if they are convicted of threatening a victim with a knife. ///

/// According to figures released by the Crime Survey for England and Wales earlier this month, there were 15,552 knife-point robberies by offenders of all ages reported to officers last year - up 9 per cent from the previous 12 months. ///

Now let's look at the figures, the original Tory/LibDem's pledge was ditched because of the cost of locking up 8,200 offenders, but there were 15,552 knife point robberies reported only last year.

Surely if they are now going to give out jail sentences and there have been 15,552 in just last year, that is going to cost a lot more than the locking up 8,200.

Or am I going wrong somewhere?

[jake-the-peg]

It's a fair assumption that these 15,000 are committed by fewer than 8,000 offenders wouldn't you think?

Or do you think muggers give it a couple of goes and decide they don't like it?

[anotheoldgit]

jake-the-peg

/// It's a fair assumption that these 15,000 are committed by fewer than 8,000 offenders wouldn't you think? ///

Yes you may have a point there, that is obviously where I am going wrong.

[sp1814]

The reason italics might not be working for you may be down to the browser you're using.

I think you said you're on Firefox. Is that correct?

Try using this form of italic <i>

I'm going to <i>test<i> it here.

[sp1814]

Nope...that's rubbish, didn't work at all.

[LazyGun]

@SP

Square brackets, mate - Square Brackets

[naomi24]

I'm having a go at italics.

[emmie]

why worry about italics when there are crazed knife wielding loons on the loose. As to the governments crackdown, well that certainly worked didn't it, not. Besides the bstards who run in these gangs are more likely to put a gun to your face than a knife, how about doing something about that. Toothless, useless politicians, can't trust any of them.

[naomi24]

Yeah! It worked. Sorry, AOG. I'll buzz off now.

[naomi24]

Sorry Em, I couldn't resist it - but actually I agree with you. It's all about money, isn't it. A lot of money that could go where it ought to go is going elsewhere - and has been for very long time.

[emmie]

yes it is, and many of the things that young people could be doing they are closing, like youth clubs, sports centres, either that they cost the earth to join.

Having said that i really believe anyone caught carrying a knife should go to jail for 5 years, carry a gun, 10 years, no messing about. It's time they did crack down on the gangs specifically, they are not just messing about, too many people have died in recent years, as a result of their drug dealing, respect, bad boy lifestyle.

The governments past and present seem unable to get it into their heads you either pump money into the communities, to help the disaffected, or pump ever more money into building more prisons. They seem to do neither.

[in a mo]

All the good work that has been done over the past few years has been blown out of the water ,the goverment just do not think things out ,if this is the best we can muster from 2 of the main parties,it holds no hope for the rest of us.

[jno]

why worry about italics when there are crazed knife wielding loons on the loose

Definitely the question of the week

[emmie]

jno,

somewhat tongue in cheek i might add, but the knife wielding nutters are out there, i would be more worried about the bstards with guns,
kids killing kids, not sure how many dead this year, but just one is too many. Then there are the people who get caught in the crossfire, like the little girl paralysed for life. The gangs are the scourge, and unless the police do something serious about them, their actions will likely get more killed, innocents too.

[emmie]

in a mo,

what good works over the last few years, do you have any thing to back that up.

[sp1814]

I agree with em10 with regards to the jail sentences for carrying offensive weapons. 5 years and 10 years. No parole. Full stop.

[sp1814]

And 15 years for those found guilty of importing/supplying guns - even if the weaponry has been 'deactivated'.

[TWR]

May 3rd>>>>>>>>>>> May 3rd, judgment day>>>>>>>>>>May 3RD

[percypineapple]

A am not racist, but it appears that a lot of gun crime is carried out by black gangs, and I doubt if the police want to start another london's burning and riot fiasco. yes knife carriers should get immediate 5 years, guns much longer, and indescriminate shootings should be 25 years. But on what grounds can you stop a person and search them? get it wrong and everyone screams rascism.

[TWR]

Percy, you have hit the nail on the head, but the public dare not say anything.

[emmie]

The public do say, but the not the right ones, it's the families of those involved who keep stumm, probably for fear of reprisals. If you have a 15 year ready to blow someone's head off, for nothing more than so called lack of respect, then the families of other gang members will likely not say a word. The police do know that many involved in gangs are black, that is not to say that there aren't asian, and white gangs as well, because there are. There are dedicated police teams in London that cover this ground, but there are just not enough of them. And gang violence like it or not has increased dramatically over the last few years.