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London mayor attacks 'broken promise' on knife crime funds London mayor attacks 'broken promise' on knife crime funds
(2 months later)
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has said the government’s decision to release only half of the emergency cash it promised for combating knife crime is “extremely disappointing”.The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has said the government’s decision to release only half of the emergency cash it promised for combating knife crime is “extremely disappointing”.
Last month, the chancellor, Philip Hammond, announced that £100m would be made available after a spate of fatal stabbings led to renewed focus on the response to knife crime and fresh debate about police resources.Last month, the chancellor, Philip Hammond, announced that £100m would be made available after a spate of fatal stabbings led to renewed focus on the response to knife crime and fresh debate about police resources.
On Wednesday the home secretary, Sajid Javid, said £51m would be allocated to 18 forces immediately to strengthen their response to knife crime. Khan said this amounted to a broken promise.On Wednesday the home secretary, Sajid Javid, said £51m would be allocated to 18 forces immediately to strengthen their response to knife crime. Khan said this amounted to a broken promise.
The Labour mayor said: “It is extremely disappointing that the government has broken its promise immediately to give the Met and other police forces across the country £100m of emergency funding to tackle violent crime in the days and weeks ahead – just when it is most desperately needed.The Labour mayor said: “It is extremely disappointing that the government has broken its promise immediately to give the Met and other police forces across the country £100m of emergency funding to tackle violent crime in the days and weeks ahead – just when it is most desperately needed.
“We were told by the chancellor in the spring statement that this funding would be available right away for police forces, but ministers have sat on their hands for more than a month and have not even allocated the full amount of funding that they promised. Tackling violent crime cannot wait for the government to get its act together.”“We were told by the chancellor in the spring statement that this funding would be available right away for police forces, but ministers have sat on their hands for more than a month and have not even allocated the full amount of funding that they promised. Tackling violent crime cannot wait for the government to get its act together.”
He added: “This is symptomatic of a government that has cut police and preventive services to the bone and buried its head in the sand over the impact of austerity. It is time for proper action, and that must mean fully reversing the damaging cuts to the Met and youth services in London since 2010.”He added: “This is symptomatic of a government that has cut police and preventive services to the bone and buried its head in the sand over the impact of austerity. It is time for proper action, and that must mean fully reversing the damaging cuts to the Met and youth services in London since 2010.”
Police chiefs have described the recent spate of knife crime as ‘a national emergency’. In the first two months of 2019 there were 17 homicides in London alone, where 35% of all knife crimes are committed.
The number of NHS England admissions among people aged 10-19 with knife wounds has risen 60% in five years, surpassing 1,000 last year.
The number of knife and offensive weapon offences in England and Wales have risen to their highest level for nearly a decade, with the number of cases dealt with by the criminal justice system up by more than a third since 2015.
Figures on sentences handed out for such crimes, published by the Ministry of Justice, showed there were 22,041 knife and weapon offences formally dealt with by the criminal justice system in the year ending March 2019. This is the highest rate since 2010, when the number was 23,667.
In the year ending March 2019, 37% of knife and offensive weapon offences resulted in an immediate custodial sentence, compared with 22% in 2009, when the data was first published. The average length of the custodial sentences rose to the longest in a decade, from 5.5 months to 8.1 months.
The MoJ figures revealed that the number of juvenile offenders convicted or cautioned for possession or threats using a knife or offensive weapon increased by almost half (48%) between the year ending March 2015 and the year ending March 2019.
The increase in adult offenders over the same period was smaller, at 31%. However, adult offenders still accounted for 74% of the total increase in cautions and convictions received for those offences in that period.
In March 2019 chancellor, Philip Hammond, handed an extra £100m to police forces in England and Wales after a spate of fatal stabbings led to a renewed focus on rising knife crime and police resources.
In the same month more than 10,000 knives were seized and 1,372 suspects arrested during a week-long national knife crime crackdown. Officers carried out 3,771 weapons searches, during which 342 knives were found. Another 10,215 were handed in as part of amnesties.
A new Offensive Weapons Act was passed in May 2019, making it illegal to possess dangerous weapons including knuckledusters, zombie knives and death star knives. It also made it a criminal offence to dispatch bladed products sold online without verifying the buyer is over 18.
It is understood the Home Office disputes Khan’s claim as £35m of the £100m was allocated to set up violence reduction units in forces across the country. After the £51m released by the government on Wednesday, that leaves an outstanding £14m to be allocated to police in due course.It is understood the Home Office disputes Khan’s claim as £35m of the £100m was allocated to set up violence reduction units in forces across the country. After the £51m released by the government on Wednesday, that leaves an outstanding £14m to be allocated to police in due course.
The Home Office said the money was intended to be used to support visible policing in hotspot areas, but it would ultimately be for chief constables to decide how to use it.The Home Office said the money was intended to be used to support visible policing in hotspot areas, but it would ultimately be for chief constables to decide how to use it.
Javid said: “Knife crime destroys lives and as home secretary I’m determined to do everything in my power to stamp it out.Javid said: “Knife crime destroys lives and as home secretary I’m determined to do everything in my power to stamp it out.
“This funding will help the police forces worst affected by violent crime to up their response, including by increasing the number of officers out on the streets over the Easter weekend.“This funding will help the police forces worst affected by violent crime to up their response, including by increasing the number of officers out on the streets over the Easter weekend.
“The police are on the front line in the fight against serious violence and they have our full support.”“The police are on the front line in the fight against serious violence and they have our full support.”
Knife crimeKnife crime
Sadiq KhanSadiq Khan
Sajid JavidSajid Javid
PolicePolice
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