News

Crime scene: Police forensic team arrive at the scene of the latest stabbing in Black Prince Road, south London

Get a handle on the knife problem. Another teenager stabbed to death.

Top TV cop Cyril Nri has backed Britain’s knife amnesty and is calling on all who carry weapons to turn them in to the police.

On learning of the stabbing death of a south London teenager last week the star of The Bill said: “I’m shocked at what our children are doing to themselves. It’s what Stephen Lawrence’s killers wanted. I thought we knew that our lives are precious. Today I will go home and hug my 15-year-old son and I will ask him: “what did you do today? I will ask him never to carry a knife. I will ask him to walk or run away from those who feel that they must be grandstanding by wielding weapons. I will ask him to live and let live. We have to stop this now.”

And the Mayor of London has backed a call for tougher sentences for knife possession. Despite a national knife amnesty, there are still frightening numbers of blades on Britain’s streets and the Mayor wants those caught in possession of such weapons to be dealt the full force of the law.

Lee Jasper, chief advisor to Ken Livingstone said: “The Mayor is calling for the maximum sentence to be imposed on those who carry knives. We want to see vendors prosecuted for selling knives to under-aged kids. We have a knife culture that is out of control.

“Too many young people are walking around with blades. We are calling on all parents to take responsibility and ensure that any knives their children have at home are handed in during this amnesty. We can’t afford to lose more lives as a consequence of these senseless and brutal acts.”

The Mayor is supporting the Met Police’s Operation Blunt campaign which is aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of knife possession. Jasper said: “Often young people think if you stab someone in the leg they won’t die. But we know from the Damilola experience that that is not the case.”

Cyril Nri added: “If you have a knife you need to give it in now. It is not clever to carry a knife. The only thing it will do is hurt you or it will have some parent crying about a lost child and their lost potential.”

Last week Tory leader David Cameron came under fire after he accused BBC Radio 1 of encouraging knife and gun crime among the young.

Cameron made headlines after he attacked the station’s heavily urban Saturday night play list including the hip-hop show with popular DJ Tim Westwood.

Cameron said: “I would say to Radio 1, do you realise that some of the stuff you play on Saturday nights encourages people to carry guns and knives?”

The BBC have ‘strongly’ refuted Cameron’s suggestion and said that they have ‘strict’ producer guidelines in place that govern all of the stations output including the scheduling of hip-hop.

Cyril Nri said while rappers are not entirely to blame they need to be aware that they influence people.

“I’m not saying that rap itself or television is the sole cause of what is happening on the streets. But you have to be responsible if you are in a privileged position. We have to start losing heroes like Fiddy Cents and start following people who regard life as precious. Tupac may be a genius but he is a dead genius. It’s a matter of caring for yourself and having some dignity in your life.”

Over 10,500 weapons were handed in during the first 12 days of the national knife amnesty. Among them are axes, samurai swords, flick knives and Ghurkha kukri knives.

Dee Edwards, of campaign group Mothers Against Murder and Aggression (MAMA) believes the problem of knife crime could be deep-rooted in other aspects of society.

“We have to stop plastering over the cracks and start dealing with the problem at the grass roots. We worry far too much about whether our children have the right kind of clothing because of peer pressure, but that peer pressure also makes them carry weapons.

“There is also the problem of parents who refuse or cannot be bothered to monitor what their children watch or play on X-Box or PlayStation and allow other people's children access to the same," Edwards said.

Under current laws, the maximum penalty for possessing an offensive weapon is four years in prison. A bill currently going through Parliament seeks to raise the minimum age for buying knives from 16 to 18.

Shaun Bailey, a youth community worker in west London and director of My Generation charity welcomes the legislation but thinks there is one main area that is being overlooked.

“Education, education, education. That’s what we should be focussed on because our children are learning from places like MTV and becoming bad boys but if we don't educate them, they will never know."

Nineteen-year-old Rudy Takkou, a store supervisor of a Wood Green fashion shop was stabbed seven times during a row with three men.

He is recovering from his injuries and has been discharged from hospital. His mum Maria Takkou feels very strongly about the prevalence of knives on the streets.

“People shouldn't be carrying knives because if you are, you'll be forced into a situation to use it."

“Carrying a knife doesn’t make you a big person and I believe that parents should play a bigger part in getting the message across to young people."

Dee Edwards says: “We believe amnesties work as a way of raising awareness but education is the key to better tolerance and understanding of each other’s cultures and beliefs.

“We are appalled at the ease at which people, not just our young people, but across the range of ages, will pick up a knife or other weapon and use it so readily.

“Knife attacks are happening everywhere every day and the problem must be addressed with action by our politicians and not words.

“Would judges take note if all the murder victims from just one year were laid side by side, would they understand more if they attended the memorial services at Christmas for the families left behind and watch them light hundreds of candles representing the people taken from them violently?”

(Additional reporting by Enakhe Ogumah)

Published: 12 June 2006
Issue: 1222

site comments powered by Disqus