Chair wants action to stop 'young lives being lost' to knife crime
25 May 2023
The chair of West Midlands Police Federation continues his campaign for a ban on dangerous weapons such as machetes and 'zombie' style blades as Operation Sceptre continues in Force.
Rich Cooke’s comments come after a dedicated weapons arch was deployed in Birmingham city centre as part of Operation Sceptre, a national bi-annual campaign that took place last week, designed to tackle knife crime, through arrests, education and awareness raising.
The arch, which helped identify and deter people who carry blades, was used in busy spots across the city, with police officers asking members of the public to walk through the gateway.
Although walking through the arch was not compulsory, officers were able to use existing powers to stop and search people for weapons if they had reasonable grounds to do so.
“This operation is a great way of alerting the public to the dangers of knife crime and deterring criminal possession of deadly weapons, but what police really need is to be backed up by stringent laws and severe sentencing for perpetrators,” says Rich.
“Removing blades is important and the seizures must go on, but it’s a revolving door, it being so easy, even for children, to get hold of dangerous weapons, including machetes and zombie blades, cheaply online, the likes of a weapons arch or knife amnesty only really have a temporary impact.
“Knife crime is a national scourge, and young, innocent lives are being lost, especially here in the West Midlands.”
Rich said the government should be ‘acting quickly’ by banning the marketing and supply of the dangerous weapons online and in street retailers.
“Clamping down on sale and supply is only one piece of a complex jigsaw. It won’t of itself solve the problem, but it will have a positive impact and over time we would see fewer of these weapons. If it saves one life, it’s worth it,” he continued.
“Also, the government need to continue to back forces and push chief constables to ensure police officers are unambiguously supported to use their stop and search powers lawfully and without hesitation.
“For those who are found in possession of such weapons, there needs to be much more severe prison sentences. An average 7.7-month sentence for repeat offenders, only around a third of which actually go to prison, according to the latest figures is an absolute joke and fails to address either the seriousness of the crime or protect the public by keeping them off the streets.”
