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| Gun crime summit 'not solution' | Gun crime summit 'not solution' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The government has been accused of a "knee-jerk" reaction to the recent spate of gun crimes among teenagers. | The government has been accused of a "knee-jerk" reaction to the recent spate of gun crimes among teenagers. |
| The comments from the Society of Black Lawyers came as Home Secretary John Reid met community leaders and police at a second gun crime summit. | |
| The society said tougher sentences would not address the root causes and the talks were a "photo opportunity". | The society said tougher sentences would not address the root causes and the talks were a "photo opportunity". |
| The government said it was important to make further "progress" after three youths were murdered in London. | The government said it was important to make further "progress" after three youths were murdered in London. |
| The Home Office said gun crime had fallen by 14% in England and Wales in the 12 months to September last year. | The Home Office said gun crime had fallen by 14% in England and Wales in the 12 months to September last year. |
| The summit would help "make a difference to individuals and communities", it added. | The summit would help "make a difference to individuals and communities", it added. |
| A previous meeting hosted by Tony Blair at Downing Street, proposed extending the mandatory minimum sentences for carrying guns to those aged under 21 and outlined more funding for community groups. | A previous meeting hosted by Tony Blair at Downing Street, proposed extending the mandatory minimum sentences for carrying guns to those aged under 21 and outlined more funding for community groups. |
| The time has come to invest in young people, to remove the poverty which is the breeding ground for serious gun and drugs crime Peter Herbert | The time has come to invest in young people, to remove the poverty which is the breeding ground for serious gun and drugs crime Peter Herbert |
| The Society of Black Lawyers said the demand for Class A drugs was the fundamental cause of gun crime among teenage gangs. | The Society of Black Lawyers said the demand for Class A drugs was the fundamental cause of gun crime among teenage gangs. |
| Chairman Peter Herbert said: "The time has come to invest in young people, to remove the poverty which is the breeding ground for serious gun and drugs crime, to begin pilot studies to treat the addicts which feed the drugs market in Britain and make it totally uneconomic for hard drugs to be traded on our streets". | Chairman Peter Herbert said: "The time has come to invest in young people, to remove the poverty which is the breeding ground for serious gun and drugs crime, to begin pilot studies to treat the addicts which feed the drugs market in Britain and make it totally uneconomic for hard drugs to be traded on our streets". |
| He said the sale and ownership of all replica weapons needed to be banned and called for "real alternatives" to imprisonment. | He said the sale and ownership of all replica weapons needed to be banned and called for "real alternatives" to imprisonment. |