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ZeusAres42

In the last year, the UK has seen a sharp rise in violent knife crime. I have heard on the radio news of about someone getting stabbed at least every week or every other week in the last few months alone.  I haven't really looked into this too deeply as of yet but what I am aware of is that a lot of this does revolve around drugs, gang culture, etc. Do you have any views on this?

I personally think this has a lot to do with gangs and drugs. There could be other factors too. Also, the prospect of Prison doesn't seem to be much of a deterrent either. Because of this, there could indeed be more emphasis on self-defense options too?

What do you think?

CYDdharta

Every week or two???  More like every 4 minutes.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1036154/A-knife-attack-4-minutes-130-000-year--ministers-insist-crime-rates-falling.html

Dee

You say ....Because of this, there could indeed be more emphasis on self-defense options too? 

My reply ......It seems to be mainly amongst assorted gangs no need for self defense options.

Applesauce

@ZeusAres42

the obvious solution is to ban knives duh.......oh wait......(well someone had to say it so...)

they could try letting more "migrants" into their country, maybe that would help

Oh I got it, ban hateful speech, yeah that should fix it, unless.....

I like the "it's gangs so one on cares" kind of excuse but they don't use that consistently

"the prospect of Prison doesn't seem to be much of a deterrent either."

that is a major, major factor imo in the U.S. too,  no one cares, societies are increasingly becoming desensitized, it's plain as day but the leaders bury their heads in their......the sand and ignore it and think more laws will fix it.  It's a lost cause.

AmericanFurryBoy

Gotta ban those assault knives

CYDdharta

AmericanFurryBoy said:

Gotta ban those assault knives

They're already working on that;

UK judge calls for ban on pointed kitchen knives to reduce stabbing deaths

Applesauce

@CYDdharta

they should make those handcuff things that just cuff your thumbs together mandatory unless you have a legitimate reason to have them removed.

the stupidity is overwhelming, youtube has videos on making some really sharp knives and swords from wood, plastic and other everyday ordinary materials

love that "pointed kitchen knives" because you can't put a point on one that doesn't have a point?  Does he think most everyone in the U.K. is functionally retarded?  maybe they are, dunno.

Plaffelvohfen

I wonder how many injuries / casualties result from those attacks, the article doesn't say... It's probably gang related as overall crime is steadily decreasing... 

MayCaesar

I would guess that it is one of the two things: either some knife crimes went viral and knives consequently became a new favored weapon of criminals, or firearms became too hard to acquire for the average criminal and they switched to the next most effective weapon they could think of.

This just demonstrates once more that banning tools does not change anything: people just switch to a different tool with similar functionality. To really solve the crime issues, one must go after the source: not the “how” of the crimes, but the “why” of them.

Plaffelvohfen

@MayCaesar

True, were they to ban knives, they'd probably see a rise in baseball bat attacks, rock attacks, sharpened broomsticks or whatever... A robbery is a robbery regardless of the weapon used, if any... 

CYDdharta

Applesauce said:

@CYDdharta

they should make those handcuff things that just cuff your thumbs together mandatory unless you have a legitimate reason to have them removed.

the stupidity is overwhelming, youtube has videos on making some really sharp knives and swords from wood, plastic and other everyday ordinary materials

love that "pointed kitchen knives" because you can't put a point on one that doesn't have a point?  Does he think most everyone in the U.K. is functionally retarded?  maybe they are, dunno.

People have been pushing this since at least 2005, which would suggest that this isn't a new problem that has suddenly come up.  Straight razors don't have a point, but they can be pretty nasty in a fight.  As for what people can make, prisoners in jail have already made firearms.  Where there's a will, there's a way.

ZeusAres42

Plaffelvohfen said:

I wonder how many injuries / casualties result from those attacks, the article doesn't say... It's probably gang related as overall crime is steadily decreasing... 

  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1036154/A-knife-attack-4-minutes-130-000-year--ministers-insist-crime-rates-falling.html

This is a media article from 2008 with no raw data available and may or not be relevant to the recent rise in violent knife crime that has resulted in the UK with 100 fatal stabbings resulting in death this year in 2019.

UK judge calls for ban on pointed kitchen knives to reduce stabbing deaths

This was from May 30, 2018, and yes, one or more people in the UK have been coming up with ludicrous claims about banning kitchen cooking knives. This, however, was a law that was never considered let alone being passed; it's highly improbable this will happen either.

Moreover, I think I just need to clarify that I was talking mainly about the recent knife-related homicides heard from various radio and tv news sources as of late.

There could indeed lie the possibility that people are getting attacked far more than what the media are covering. Be that as it may though the fact that multiple national news outlets are reporting and suggesting a rise in violent knife crime is something that could be food for thought.

ZeusAres42

Interesting video here where "Good Morning Britain Weatherman Alex Beresford made an off-camera interjection as the Police Federation chair, John Apter, was arguing for the need for more prisons."