Express & Star comment: Get tough now with knife thugs
There is no doubt that tackling the scourge of knife crime will take a range of different approaches.
In recent years West Midlands Police, along with other forces across the country, have placed a great deal of emphasis in educating young people on the issue.
In an age when many teenagers think nothing of walking around the streets with a blade in their pocket, this is necessary.
Young people need to be made aware of the dire consequences of carrying a knife. The new ‘life or knife’ campaign, which launched today, aims to do just that. Senior officers say it will tackle the root causes of knife crime, partly by targeting youngsters through social media and websites that play grime and drill music.
Some will undoubtedly question the need to get the message across in this way, particularly when such music is frequently associated with the violence that the police are trying to stop.
But of greater concern, is that while another initiative is launched to great fanfare, the criminal justice system remains appallingly ill equipped to deal with the nation’s crime epidemic. The sentencing powers of our courts are far too limited.
All too often, criminals are committing violent acts and getting away with light or suspended sentences.
The authorities must realise that unless tougher sentencing measures are brought in, the situation will not improve.
And the shocking state of our police forces is another issue that simply must be addressed.
In the West Midlands officer numbers are plummeting, police stations are closing down all over the place and resources have been stripped back to the extent that bobbies are barely able to do their jobs.
We applaud any initiative that aims to curb the knife crime crisis.
It is leaving people dead on our streets, and tearing apart families and communities across the region.
But as well as teaching young people about the dangers of blades, there needs to be a proper deterrent in place.
While local forces do their bit, it would be nice to see the Government take steps to tackle the tide of violent crime by bringing in some new legislation.
Unfortunately with Theresa May at the helm, any concrete action seems highly un
