The Prime Minister is launching a new coalition, to tackle knife
crime and stop young people being dragged into violent gangs.
Joined by anti-knife crime campaigner, and co-founder of the Elba
Hope Foundation, Idris Elba, the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime
will bring together campaign groups, families of people who have
tragically lost their lives to knife crime, young people who have
been impacted and community leaders, united in their mission to
save lives and make Britain a safer place for the next
generation.
The coalition will also include technology companies, sport
organisations as well as partners in the health service,
education and the police.
It will work with experts to develop an extensive understanding
of what causes young people to be dragged into violence,
providing vital evidence that will drive government policy and
holding the government to account on its knife crime
commitments.
Ahead of its launch, later today the Prime Minister will meet
with the Home Secretary, Idris Elba and campaign groups at the
first annual Knife Crime Summit at Downing Street.
At the meeting, the Prime Minister will set out how this mission
is personal for him. After years spent working as the Director of
Public Prosecutions, he has seen first-hand how violence on our
streets can destroy families and leave communities
devastated.
He will reassure the families that they can have confidence in
his determination, and that he has a plan for action, not just
talk. He pledged that he will pull the levers needed to halve
knife crime, including bringing in new legislation.
This work has already begun with legislation underway to ban
ninja swords.
The government will also strengthen the laws around the online
sales of knives, making sure the rules in place to stop dangerous
weapons ending up in the hands of young people are
enforced.
Commander Stephen Clayman, the National Policing lead for
knife crime, has been tasked with leading a rapid review to
understand how these weapons are sold online and delivered to
under 18s, identifying gaps in legislation and the most effective
ways to stop this. He will report back to the Home Secretary by
the end of the year.
Prime Minister said:
As Director of Public Prosecutions, I saw first-hand the
devastating impact that knife crime has on young people and their
families. This is a national crisis that we will tackle head on.
We will take this moment to come together as a country –
politicians, families of victims, young people themselves,
community leaders and tech companies - to halve knife crime and
take back our streets.
Home Secretary said:
We will not sit back while precious lives are being lost and
young people's futures destroyed. That is why we are making
it a mission for the country to halve knife crime in a decade.
Getting weapons off our streets and making sure there are tough
and clear consequences for violence are vital. And we also need
to prevent young people heading down this path - that means
offering young people more hope, more opportunities.
This coalition is crucial - bringing together those who have
fought so passionately for change and who know how devastating
knife crime can be and why we need action now.
Anti-knife crime campaigner Idris Elba OBE said:
We need to tackle the root causes of knife crime, not just the
symptoms. The coalition is a positive step toward rehabilitating
our communities from the inside out.
Commander Stephen Clayman, National Police Chiefs' Council lead
for knife crime, said:
We welcome the government's further commitment to tackling knife
crime through today's announcements.
Knife crime continues to blight the lives of individuals,
families and whole communities and despite so much brilliant work
ongoing around the country, policing cannot solve this problem
alone. Knives are far too easily accessible, with online sellers
being a key focus of our work over the last year. I look forward
to leading the review into online supply and continuing to work
in close partnership with government, retailers and the third
sector to find ways we can bring meaningful, long-term change
that will make our streets safer for everyone.
Today's announcement is the first step in the government's
10-year plan to tackle knife crime, which will be central to its
mission to keep our streets safe.
It will build on the new Young Futures programme, already set out
by the Home Office, to offer young people a pathway out of
crime.
This will create prevention partnerships for young people most at
risk of being dragged into violence, and bring together the right
services to help them lead safe and healthy lives. Young Futures
hubs will be set up offering young people a safe place to go
where they can be diverted into positive activities and access
the services they need.
