Not the way to win battle over knife crime
Walsall Chief Superintendent Andy Parsons obviously means well when he aims to drive out knife culture by educating the public, working with partners in schools, commissioning street doctors and mentors and highlighting the medical issues of knife crime.
No doubt these initiatives along with knife bins play a role but for the most part he will be preaching to the converted.
The only effective way of dealing with knife crime, dangerous driving, burglary, fly tipping and the other issues that figure prominently in this paper is to catch the culprits. The justice system then has a duty to protect the public by handing out punishments that act as a deterrent to would-be criminals and repeat offenders.
This of course, does not happen, as evidenced by the serious crimes committed in broad daylight and in front of witnesses, using shocking violence and even returning to a scene to complete a job.
Fighting this with education is a lost cause no matter how well meaning and it stands to take police from where they need to be…on the streets and in our neighbourhoods.
Of course there are serious resourcing issues and these are a matter for our politicians who you think would be desperate to persuade their colleagues in the Westminster bubble that it's getting increasingly lawless out there and it's time to wipe the mist off the windows and take a good long look.
In the meantime good luck Andy with your campaign. You'll need it.
Mike Crump
Wolverhampton
