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Did you know it is an offence to carry a weapon (refer to the section knifes and the law) and 65% of people who carry knives have their weapons used against them? Knife crime has become a serious issue.
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In response to the number of young people killed and seriously injured as a result of weapon enabled crime (knife and gun crime) in London this year the Metropolitan police is running an initiative called Operation Blunt 2.
Operation Blunt 2 means that:
- Police officers will be stopping and searching more people in
‘hotspot’ areas to search for knives and weapons
- Shops selling knives to those under 18 will be targeted
- Officers will be using search wands and arches to see if
they are carrying weapons. Officers from British Transport police
also run operations to detect people who are carrying knives (Operation Shield)
- Targeting known offenders of violent and weapon enabled crime (guns and weapons)
If you are worried about someone you know carrying a knife
please talk to someone like a teacher, youth worker or police officer.
You could save someone’s life.
Knives and the law
There are a number of pieces of legislation that makes its an offence to carry knives including:
Section 1 prevention of crime act 1953 –
This act made it illegal to possess an offensive weapon in
a public place. If you are found to be carrying a knife you could go to prison for four years.
Section 139 Criminal Justice Act 1988 – Gave the police the power to
stop and search people they believe are carrying a knife. If a knife was found the person is arrested. Section 139a Criminal Justice Act 1988
also extended this power to cover ‘school premises’.
Section 60 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (as amended by Knives Act 1997 and Crime and Disorder Act 1998) – This allows senior police officers to authorise constables to stop and search anybody in a specific area to search for weapons including knives.
The Knives Act 1997 introduces a range of anti-knife measures
including unlawful marketing of combat knives and publishing adverts
for combat knives.
The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 created a number offences in relation to knife crime including:
- making it an offence to get someone to look after a weapon
(section 28)
- increase of maximum sentences for offences of having knives to
four years (section 42)
- giving head teachers the powers to search school pupils for
weapons (section 45 and 46)
- giving police more powers to search schools for weapons
(section 48)
