'Enough Police' To Tackle Violence Rise - UK Government Home Secretary Amber Rudd

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'Enough Police' To Tackle Violence Rise - Conservative MP and UK Government Home Secretary Amber Rudd


BBC News, 8th April, 2018



Falling police numbers are not to blame for rising violence and a new approach is needed, the home secretary has said.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Amber Rudd said evidence did not back up claims that reduced resources were the cause of more crime.

Labour said police numbers were a factor and accused Ms Rudd of having her head "stuck in the sand".

More than 50 people have been killed in violent attacks in London since the start of the year.

In the latest incident, a woman was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder on Saturday night after a man was stabbed outside Highbury and Islington station in north London.

On Monday the government will unveil a new strategy to tackle serious violence, including an Offensive Weapons Bill for England and Wales, with new rules on the carrying of knives and acid.

In her article, Ms Rudd said police numbers were rising in the early 2000s - when serious violent crimes were at their highest.

But, speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr programme, the shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said Ms Rudd had "stuck her head in the sand" and that suggesting police numbers had little effect was "a very naive position".


There have been more than 50 killings in London this year

"We've seen cuts to youth services, education, children's services and all these wrap around services that we know support our young people," she told the Andrew Marr programme.

Stop and search 'vital'

The government has defended its current policy on "stop and search", which Ms Rudd described as a "vital policing tool".

Speaking on Andrew Marr, Communities Secretary Sajid Javid told the BBC the government would consult on extending the powers of stop and search, so that those who may be carrying acid could also be searched by police.

Mr Javid said there was "a real problem", but that the new weapons bill would make a "big difference" to the rate of crimes.

What does the Offensive Weapons Bill propose?

* Tough restrictions on online sales of knives - preventing them from being posted to residential addresses

* It would also become illegal to possess in private certain weapons such as zombie knives and knuckle-dusters

* A ban on the sale of the most dangerous corrosive products to under-18s

* A consultation on extending stop and search powers to enable the police to seize acid from people carrying it in public without good reason

* Making it an offence to possess a knife on a further education premises

Ms Rudd said the government's new Serious Violence Strategy would "radically change" how the rising violence is addressed.

Crime minister Victoria Atkins said it would be focused on education and prevention.

"So before a young person thinks of picking up a knife we want them to stop, to have the skills to say no, to be resilient," she told the BBC.

As well as introducing new laws and powers, Ms Rudd pledged to work with representatives from local government, health, education and industry to address the root causes of crime.

She said the drug trade would be highlighted as a "key driver" of rising violence and pressure would be put on internet companies to clamp down on the incitement and glorification of violence on social media.

'Not just angry young men'


Mo Timbo says there are many issues which lead young men to gang culture

Mo Timbo - now a pastor in Hull - grew up in Peckham in south-east London.

From the age of 14 he was heavily involved in gang culture, and sold drugs like cannabis and heroin.

"By the age of 19, I'd been stabbed, arrested several times and I found myself serving time in prison," he told Radio Humberside's James Hogarth.
"For the society I was part of, that seemed to be a very normal thing."

Mo agreed with Ms Rudd's assessment that falling police numbers may not be linked to the rise in violence.

"With more stop and searches and more police around, it almost sends a message out to the gangs that it's you against us. So we would stick together to the point where rival gangs would come together as a team against the police," he said.

"It's not down to one thing. There are so many deep issues we need to work on," he added.

"Look at the family - what happens in the household? (If) you're no longer finding that nurturing at home, you're finding it on the streets. I wouldn't say it's just down to angry young men."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43686595

[♥ Lily ♥]

[♥ Lily ♥]

[♥ Lily ♥]

[♥ Lily ♥]

Last week I was taking a short break from work and went outside to vape on my box mod for a few minutes. I was holding and looking at my iPhone 6S Plus and a young Arab male walked past me and stopped.

He said to me, 'Please be careful holding that phone... please... please... just be careful.'

I was stunned and thought he was being neurotic... but anyway, I just politely and quitely said, 'Thanks, I will'.

I thought to myself.... 'I've had this mobile for well over a year and used it in public many times to make videos and pictures... there's plenty of CCTV all over this area... there's warning signs on the streets to thieves about forensic DNA paint used in the area to catch criminals, etc... the Paddington police response time in my local area is extremely fast and good... it's a low crime area as there hasn't been any stabbing deaths and muggings in my local area for many years now.'

I remember seeing blue police tape all over my street once and police were everywhere after a white English teenager was stabbed to death opposite my home many years ago. I was shocked because I live in a very beautiful and peaceful area where crime is low.

The police were knocking on everyone's doors to ask questions. They wouldn't let anyone pass through the street without questioning who they were and where they lived. They had police dogs everywhere and forensic officers taking evidence. It happened at 1am or 2am in the morning according to the police.

I've walked out late at night and during the early hours of the mornings so many times to go to local 24 hours shops if I've run out of tea or milk, and always felt safe in my area.... so I was shocked.

Every year, people still lay bouquets of flowers opposite my home in memory of the 17 year old male who was mugged and stabbed to death.

Then two weeks later and just two streets away, a wealthy white English lawyer was mugged and stabbed to death after two black males robbed him for £5 and his mobile phone....the same two criminals who were passing through this area once according to reports, and the same guys who killed the white teenager.... and then a few days later, another stabbing attack happened in my local area by the same attackers, and then they were caught and jailed. Local community police heavily patrolled my area for 7 months continuously day and night after the culprits were jailed and it's been peaceful again eversince.

So I've started using a steel wire padlock cable attached to the case of my mobile phone now and a steel wire special waterproof belt purse that can't be cut, but has an emergency break-free clip attached... after that man warned me to be careful.

I'm also now keeping my personal panic attack alarm on me at all times whenever I walk outside, that was given to me by Operation Sapphire of the Metropolitan Police many years ago after my brutal and violent rape attacker was sent to a high security jail. I moved away from my former home in Angel, Islington, North London after that. I didn't like the way the national media sensationalised what happened to me, but it's also made me aware that the media can distort the accuracy of the facts of crimes.

Large compensation money for the victims of crimes and free counselling services doesn't totally heal the trauma and recurring nightmares.

I remember news reports about London being worse in crime than NY many years ago... and then crime went down after that.

I saw a cool video on YT once of West London police chasing a South London gang out of this area, but I can't find it on YT anymore.

There's millions and millions and millions of people living, travelling through, studying, and visiting London.... but still, 50 killings out of millions and millions of people... is still 50 crimes too much. It's made people feel angry as it can't be tolerated.

It's good that it's headline news across the UK as it will make the government take action to stop the drug and knife crimes if they want to win the next General Election.