Displaying items by tag: Knife Crime

Tens of thousands of young people are caught up in criminal activity and violence every year. The recent upsurge in knife crime is both terrifying and heart-breaking. It is time now for Christians to fight this battle with prayer. Following a popular prayer campaign held just before the summer holidays (a time traditionally when violence increases), Christians from across the country and across denominations are being called to harness the power of prayer to reduce knife violence. A recent survey revealed that although few youths admitted to owning a knife 15% said that they have friends who carry knives. The Peace on our Streets campaign encourages people to sign up to receive a daily prayer by text and then pray every day at noon using either the text or the downloadable prayer information sheet as a prompt to their prayers. To watch a video by a youth and children’s worker explaining the issues, click the ‘More’ button.

Serious crime soared in London in the past year, police figures have revealed, with the murder rate up by 44% and youth murder, personal robbery and home burglary all up by about a third. The figures, from the Metropolitan police, also showed a 23% increase in gun crime, a 21% rise in knife crime, and an 18% increase in the number of rapes. They were released just before a meeting of the London assembly’s police and crime committee on 15 May. Its chairman, Steve O’Connell, called the rise ‘unacceptable’ and ‘deeply troubling’. So far in 2018 the Met has launched more than sixty murder investigations, and the increase in violent crime has been reflected in many other urban areas. Sophie Linden, the deputy mayor for policing and crime, defended her office’s record. ‘It’s very, very early days’, she said. ‘We’re talking about knife crime with injury and we’re seeing that stabilising. But every murder is so appalling on the streets of London that there is no complacency here whatsoever.’

The Guardian’s headline on 26 April was ‘Highest number of knife crimes registered since comparable records started in 2010’. This week St Mary’s Church, Primrose Hill hosted a citizens’ assembly for institutions across Camden and Islington to hear from those on the front line against crime and to plan their response to knife, gang and racist violence across London. Local leaders, MPs, councillors and police discussed views which in turn launched a ‘safety commission’ to look more closely into the causes of knife and gang violence. They will work in partnership with politicians and other services. Rt Revd Rob Wickham, Bishop of Edmonton, said the citizens’ assembly was timely, given that fatal stabbings have claimed 35 lives across the city so far this year. He encouraged people to support the event, saying, ‘This issue affects everyone, so everyone needs to respond.’ Listen to his comments on Premier Radio at

An increasing number of teenagers are carrying knives to school; some are fearful of being stabbed or being told to stab someone else. Children as young as eleven carry knives. When asked why, some said, ‘it’s to protect ourselves: stab first or risk getting stabbed yourself’, and ‘once you’re caught up in this way of life, it’s hard to get out.’ There are government initiatives tackling knife crime: tougher policing, mental health support, education, youth activities. But there’s never enough money or manpower to make real differences to complex problems. Each new solution barely scratches the surface. Above all, our young people need Jesus, love, kindness, time and security as part of God’s family. Pray for the growth of the ‘knife crime and forgiveness’ course run by London City Mission in schools. Pray for Christian outreach into the darker places of our communities.

A Christian youth charity has warned that ‘knife crime will continue to go up and down if we don't tackle the causes of why it happens in the first place’. Despite a new London-wide strategy intended to reduce knife crime, more needs to be done to prevent young people from carrying knives. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner said they are looking again at stop and search and sentencing, but that is looking at symptoms and trying to get knives off the street. It is not looking at why young people are carrying knives in the first place. A lot of it is down to fear and believing that 'since everyone else is carrying a knife, I should carry one just in case'. The Centre for Social Justice said that crime-linked poverty, family break-down, educational failure, and the idea of worklessness are all reasons why people are growing up in situations where carrying a knife seems like a good option.