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Cut red tape to beat knife crime – MP
KAREN Buck led a delegation of London MPs to warn the home secretary that legislation is not the answer to tackling knife crime.
The Labour member for Regent’s Park and Kensington North called on Jacqui Smith to bypass local authorities and hand funding directly to community groups in a bid to cut out red tape.
Just a week Westminster was named as the worst-performing borough for providing services to schoolchildren in the whole of London, Ms Buck said it was exactly the frontline services that were the key to stemming youth disorder.
The police alone could not solve the rise in knife crime.
Instead she suggested initiatives including more targeted youth services and trust-building programmes to encourage more protection for young people when they give evidence.
Ms Buck said: “We are calling for the money from dormant bank accounts that the government has said will be used to provide youth services to be targeted through local communities rather than given to local authorities.
“We constantly meet local people who want to do something in their local areas, but lack the means to do so.
“We want to be able to say to people, ‘how can I help you tackle the problems that exist on your doorstep’?”
She added: “Of course, those who use knives, or threaten to use them or show intent should face the prospect of a custodial sentence, but the government was right not to adopt a knee-jerk reaction of mandatory custodial sentences for people carrying knives.
“But there should be a presumption of prosecution for everyone carrying a weapon.” |
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