Just over two years ago my Parliamentary colleague, and fellow Essex MP, Sir David Amess, was fatally stabbed while taking part in an advice surgery in his constituency. Just a week later two teenagers died in Brentwood after a late night fight involving knives.
At the time, Essex Police was three years into its ten year strategy to reduce knife crime, and was able to provide an immediate response to the deaths, beyond the initial criminal investigation, to increase visible patrols in Sir David’s constituency, and on Brentwood High Street, carry out more stop and searches and reassure local residents and businesses.
Across the county, Essex Police’s wider strategy against knife crime involves identifying and tackling organised crime gangs, County Lines and drug supply, delivering a proactive, robust local enforcement programme in partnership with communities, and reducing the risk of young or vulnerable people being exploited by gangs and help those involved in gangs to break away.
These three actions have had a positive effect in the last five years, most notably through a reduction in the number of people admitted to hospital with knife wounds.
The Government has this week laid down legislation which will ban zombie-style knives and machetes to make our streets safer and protect the public. This has been promoted by our Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, Roger Hirst, who worked with Sir David’s successor, Anna Firth, to bring forward the legislation to tighten up on the way “zombie” knives are described, and establishing who is selling knives to young people, especially over the internet.
Further, the Government has also committed to give the police more powers to seize dangerous weapons, creating a new offence of possession of a bladed weapon with an intent to harm, and increasing sentences for those who import, manufacture or sell dangerous weapons to under 18s.
The legislation has my full support – we need to tackle gang-related knife crime, and help our young people understand there are better opportunities available to them.
Picture: Alex Burghart MP with Essex PFCC Roger Hirst on Brentwood High Street
