On Wednesday 4th March, the Home Office announced new legislation around knife crime which will be trialled in London from April by the Metropolitan Police. The Knife Crime Prevention Orders (KCPOs) were first introduced through the Offensive Weapons Act 2019.
However, they would impose sanctions such as bans on using social media besides geographic restrictions on visiting certain areas or meeting individuals. A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, in a statement to the Asian Voice said,
“The Mayor has supported the Met’s call for the introduction of Knife Crime Prevention Orders (KCPOs) in order to help police tackle the scourge of knife crime. However, to be effective, the knife crime prevention orders alone will not reduce violent crime, and must be part of a much bigger package of measures that include tackling the causes of crime.
“In order to drive down violence the Mayor is being tough on crime, taking the difficult decision to increase council tax to help pay for 1,300 more police officers, as well as being tough on the underlying causes of crime, investing in a public health approach that will address the root causes of crime and create more positive opportunities for disadvantaged young Londoners.”
But some critics believe that the trial will potentially criminalise 12-year-olds as opposed to early intervention. It will take place over 14 months.
"We support all approaches that aim to lead to a reduction in knife crime, but we are concerned that young people as young as 12 may well be criminalised for breaching these orders," Patrick Green, CEO of Ben Kinsella Trust noted in a statement.
As part of the latest legislation the courts will be able to stop those under an order from associating with certain people, introduce geographical restrictions, and set curfews.They will also include positive requirements such as attendance at educational courses, life skills programmes, participation in group sports, drug rehabilitation and anger management classes.
