‘UNCCEPTABLE’ Sadiq Khan’s anger as knife crime SOARS as stop-and-search fears rise
KNIFE crime is soaring in Britain amid fresh warnings that reducing stop and search is linked to a rise in street violence.
By SIMON OSBORNE
Express.co.uk
Thu, Apr 26, 2018
New figures show police recorded just under 40,000 offences involving a knife last year, a 22 per cent increase on the previous year.
An explosion in the number of knife murders – especially in London – has sparked calls for a re-think on the approach to the controversial stop and search powers given to the police.
Claims the policy was being used disproportionately against young black men led Theresa May to introduce reforms in 2014 in a bid to ensure stop and search was used in a more targeted way.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, said: “These statistics show once again that crime, and violent crime in particular, is rising at an unacceptably high rate across the whole of England and Wales, including London.
“This is clearly a national problem that requires national solutions from the Government.”
Mr Khan said there was evidence to suggest cuts to police budgets was having an impact on the ability to tackle knife crime.
The new rules mean police officers only have the power to stop and search if they had “reasonable grounds” to suspect someone was carrying illegal drugs, a weapon, stolen property or something which could be used to commit a crime.
But officers have expressed concern about the policy which some claim leaves them fearful of being accused of being racist.
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