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• New
Knife Crime Prevention Orders will give police more powers to
stop people carrying knives
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•
Action to be taken against retailers found selling knives to
children
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• £500k
funding for Trading Standards to prosecute retailers who
repeatedly sell knives to under 18s
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•
Further measures introduced to target early intervention with a
new phase of #knifefree
The Home Secretary is radically stepping up the Government’s
response to knife crime and will be introducing new orders to
prevent criminals carrying blades.
As part of decisive action to enhance police powers, the
Government will seek to amend the Offensive Weapons Bill to
introduce Knife Crime Prevention Orders.
This new deterrent can be imposed on any person aged 12 or
over to prevent vulnerable young people from becoming
involved in knife possession and knife crime.
It can be imposed on anyone who police believe is carrying a
knife, are habitual knife carriers or people previously convicted
of a knife related offence.
This fills a gap which is not covered by
existing preventative orders such as gang injunctions and
criminal behaviour orders.
On introducing the measures, the Home Secretary,
said:
“I have been clear that I will do everything in my power to
tackle the senseless violence that is traumatising communities
and claiming too many young lives.
“The police already have a range of measures they are using to
keep our streets safe, but there is more we can do to help them
in this battle. I have listened to their calls and will be
introducing these new orders to stop gang members carrying knives
in the first place.
“It is vital we continue to focus on improving the law
enforcement response while at the same time steering young people
away from criminal activity in the first place.”
The new civil orders will also restrict behaviour by placing
curfews and geographical restrictions on individuals as well as
limiting their social media use – preventing the rapid escalation
of rival disputes.
To ensure compliance with these restrictions, breach of the order
will be a criminal offence and the holder can be sent to prison
for two years if convicted.
The Home Secretary will also be taking further action against
retailers found to be selling knives to children. A new £500k
prosecution fund will help Trading Standards teams to secure the
prosecution of retailers who repeatedly sell knives to under
18s.
As part of these further measures to intervene early, the Home
Office is set to launch the next phase of #Knifefree in the
spring. The campaign, aimed at young people, looks
to inspire them to pursue positive alternatives.
This announcement comes just months after the Home Secretary
launched a new range of innovative measures to address violent
crime in the UK including, a consultation on a new legal
duty to underpin a ‘public health’ approach to tackling serious
violence, a new £200 million youth endowment fund and an
independent review of drug misuse.
This continues the work of the ambitious Serious Violence
Strategy which, backed by £40million of funding, puts
greater focus on steering young people away from a life of crime.
