Digital Newsroom Article 1

The Government’s ‘Tackling Knives Action Programme’ has begun nationwide, with Lancashire one of the focus points.

The Government have begun a new £3 million campaign to crack down on knife crime. Over the past year there has been a spate of high profile deaths in relation to knife crime, especially around the capital.

Knife crime 07/08 accounted for 18% of all violent crime in Lancashire. The offences recorded by police have been broken down to show the extent of knife crime. Lancashire is the 10th place hot-spot in a table of knife crime figures from 2007/2008, with 361 incidents recorded; less than the 515 UK average.

Dominic Benson, from the Press Office at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said that between the start of November 2007 and the end of November 2008 there have been only three knife crime related injuries in Chorley but 26 in Preston.

The British Crime Survey showed statistics published by the police, based on recorded offences, showed crime down 9%. However, the BSC figures do not include under-16s; an age group which, according to the Lancashire Constabulary, can be attributed a large percentage of involvement in knife crime.

Lea Police have been visiting secondary schools in Ashton, Fulwood and Tulketh, to show pupils the types of scanners they use to find the knives in an attempt to educate and prevent future crimes.

In a press release from the Lancashire Constabulary Press Office it was said that the Lancashire Constabulary “recognises that knife crime is a growing problem in society” and “Officers regularly speak to young people to warn them of the dangers of knives and that police take action against those who carry them.”

The statement continues: “Taking knives off the streets will not solve the problem in isolation. That will involve the whole community, including schools, parents and youths themselves in making knife carriage unacceptable.

“In order to reduce incidents involving knives we need to change attitudes; education is about breaking the chain, targeting those most vulnerable to carrying knives; enforcement is about using proactive police powers and community intelligence to target areas where people are thought to routinely carry knives.”

People in Preston do believe there is a problem with knife crime, if not a major one, and it is because the youth don’t have enough activities to engage them.

The Liberal Democrat MP, Simon Hughes said at a conference in Stockwell that young people were carrying knives out of fear, a statement backed up by the police following stop and search procedures.

Undercover spot checks in the 10 national hotspots for knife crime, including Lancashire, have also shown that it is twice as easy to buy a knife underage than it is alcohol. 35 per cent of underage test purchasers were able to buy a knife while alcohol checks were just 15 per cent successful.

The map (below) shows a select few cases of knife crime in and around Preston, with the majority away from the centre of the city – away from the university – and towards fringe areas, such as Ribbleton and Walton-le-dale.



View Larger Map