If you carry a knife - you will feel the consequences
It is not acceptable to carry a knife. That should not be a controversial statement. Sadly however for far too many people - often young people - it has become normalised. That is why I have been working with Thames Valley Police to launch a fresh approach to tackling knife crime in our region.
In many ways the statistics around knife crime present a conundrum. Across Thames Valley knife enabled crime has fallen by 12% in the 12 months to the end of May. This is a pattern that is mirrored in the majority of local policing areas within the Force. In Milton Keynes for example the reduction has been 11%. Of course the previous year, 2020-2021, was severely
impacted by lockdowns, but that actually makes the further reduction this year even more significant. Nevertheless at the same time we have seen a significant increase in the number of lives lost as a result of the use of knives.
The sad reality is that the difference between an assault and a murder can be as simple as a couple of inches, or the speed of the medical response. These aren’t just statistical blips. They are lives. And deaths. They are families torn apart. Futures destroyed.
When we hear of another stabbing; another tragic murder, there is only one person to blame. The individual wielding the knife. They are culpable and they must be held to account. For the most serious of offences the police achieve the best outcomes. Offenders are identified and brought to justice. I want to ensure that all of those involved in knife crime feel the impact of their actions.
Whilst the responsibility lies squarely on the offender, each of these incidents represents a failing for our whole society. Because these cases are not isolated. Although each crime may be unrelated to the last a pattern nevertheless emerges. The culture of knife carrying is a blight on us all. It may not be you or me that would carry a knife, but how confident are we that it is not (or could not) be our children, or their friends? We all have a role to play, by challenging behaviour and reporting concerns.
Launching today, and gathering pace over the coming months, Op Deter is my plan to tackle both the offenders and the wider culture of knife carrying, The focus of the activity will be on the city of Milton Keynes, where we see some of the highest levels of knife crime in Thames Valley but elements of the operation are intended to extend over time to the rest of our three counties. Ultimately I hope that the tough approach may be a template for Forces across the country. Thames Valley does not have a comparatively acute knife crime problem. In recent months instances of violent crime have been the lowest in the country per head of population and the Force remains in a strong position. The vast majority of the population, both in Milton Keynes, and across the wider region are unlikely to ever be a victim, or even directly know a
victim of knife crime. Nevertheless the fear that these incidents engender amongst communities is real, and there is no acceptable level of knife crime, hence this zero tolerance approach.
So what is Op Deter? Ultimately it is about using all of the tools in our armoury to tackle both the individuals offending and the wider acceptability of knife carrying. It can be characterised in three separate strands: prosecution, intervention, prevention.
The most iconic is increased prosecution. For too long, amongst professionals as well as young people, knife carrying on its own has been seen as “low level”. No more. Under this new approach, carrying a knife in a public place without a lawful excuse will be treated, as it always should be, as a serious offence. It can carry a custodial sentence of up to four years
in prison and those who carry weapons on our streets are about to find they are more likely to be stopped, more likely to spend time in a police cell and more likely to end up in court. We need to stamp out this dangerous behaviour in order to reduce the risk to other young people on our streets. If people refuse to heed these warnings we will see more people incarcerated. Knife possession carries a mandatory sentence of a minimum six-months in prison for a second offence. I make no apology for this. I don’t want to see more people in prison, I want to take knives off of our streets. But if people do not heed the warnings, they will feel the consequences, in order to make us all safer.
The majority of knife crime offences are committed by those over 18, with a large cohort aged 18-25. They can expect a much tougher response from 1st July as we build a hostile environment to knife carrying. The simple message is, if you carry a knife you’re more likely to be locked up, sooner and for longer.
There are sadly too many children who also choose to carry weapons. For the most dangerous of these you people, they can expect the same treatment. Age will be no protection. If you commit dangerous, violent crimes, expect to be treated like an adult and face the full consequences of your actions.
It is true however that a large number of children who may carry knives claim to do so through fear or exploitation. This is where the intensive intervention approach comes in. There are well established processes of youth justice, but these can take weeks or months to bear fruit, all the while children remain vulnerable and offending can continue. By working closely with the MK Youth Offending Team I am funding a major revamp to this approach. Once fully up and running, when a child is arrested for carrying a knife they will get support, not within days or weeks, but within hours, whilst still in police custody. That intensive intervention will look at the root causes of offending and seek to determine if the child is being exploited and is actually a victim rather than a criminal. The Youth Offending Team have a wide range of tools at their disposal, encouraging children to engage, helping them to break the cycle of offending. This is no easy option. Change is required. There is still a consequence to carrying a knife, and that consequence is delivered swiftly. Timeliness matters in delivering justice, even more so with children. There remains jeopardy. For those who don’t engage, the criminal justice path
awaits. The intervention is an opportunity, an offer of help; but if that offer is rejected there is a consequence. The chances are not unlimited, and those who have spurned help are more likely to feel the full force of the law.
The final element of Op Deter is prevention, and in many ways it is the most important. The absolute number of people who pose a threat with knives is thankfully relatively low, but it is the wider culture of knife carrying that is in many ways more concerning. The acceptability, whether it is through fear or bravado, of carrying a knife has to stop. Part of that solution is of course through education, but frankly there also needs to be a fear of the consequences. For too long, carrying a knife has been seen as a “low level” offence. Not just amongst young people, but within the criminal justice system. It may carry a relatively low penalty, might be dealt with outside of court, and could have taken a long time to resolve. This is changing. Carrying a knife is dangerous, not just to others, but to yourself. By taking the swift and tough
approach through prosecution and intervention we aim to create the deterrent impact that forms the basis of the prevention element.
This message is not just for young people who may carry a knife themselves. It is to their friends, their teachers and especially their parents. We all want the best for our children and when faced with concerns about them we fear the consequences, often more than they do themselves. That is why Op Deter offers parents, professionals and even friends the opportunity to help those they care about. The reality is that carrying a knife is dangerous and the need for the police to act swiftly and firmly is very real. Nevertheless by asking for help, you can protect those you love. Reporting concerns about someone carrying a knife will trigger an early intervention. A chance to change for the better.
If your son or daughter is caught with a knife in a public place, they will be held accountable for their reckless and dangerous conduct. If you ask for help, you can keep them out of trouble. It perfectly natural to want to protect your children and the best way to do that is to raise your concerns. Referring someone to Op Deter, a child, a pupil, even contacting the police yourself means you can get help. The intervention programme can help to address the causes of this dangerous behaviour.
There is an entire system designed to support young people, through education and support, to help those who might be embarking on the wrong course in life to take a step back and get themselves on the right track, but this offer has to be taken up. If that opportunity is missed. If you don’t raise concerns about your child, or the pupil in your class, or your friend, and they are caught with a knife, then the consequences for them could be very real indeed.
This is a tough message for those who chose to carry a knife and unapologetically so. This approach will not eradicate knife crime or violence in our society. This is not a quick fix. We have however seen far too many people dying, far too young, at the blade of a knife. This has to stop. We have the tools at our disposal to make a difference. The offer of help is there for those who will take it. For those who do not, expect to feel the consequences.
