Labour's knife crime policy forward thinking says policeman

[Indy]

No, he didn't. Of course he didn't, Labour don't have any forward thinking policies except when it comes to cigarettes (all 2 which are borrowed like all the something olds they promote)

Police: Jail for all knife crimes 'doomed to fail'

Homicides, including the number of victims killed by knives, have fallen in recent years, figures show

LABOUR'S plans to introduce mandatory jail terms for people caught carrying knives have been savaged by rank-and-file police officers.

The party has pledged to introduce the sentences if it wins next month's Holyrood election, setting aside £20 million per year in its manifesto to implement the policy.

But the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) accused Labour of being "fixated" with compulsory jail terms for the offence and said experts agreed it was doomed to fail.

SPF general secretary Calum Steele said officers believed the policy would not work and stressed that domestic homicide cases – which accounted for about two-thirds of murders in Scotland – would not be affected by the approach.

Mr Steele said: "A mandatory sentence for carrying a knife is not going to solve the problem of people that are being murdered in their own homes.

Labour has hit out at the SNP's "soft-touch" approach to crime, saying a mandatory sentencing policy would encourage people to think before carrying a knife.

However, Mr Steele said: "I've listened to a number of individuals who have studied this for a number of years, including Detective Chief Superintendent John Carnochan from the Violence Reducation Unity based at Strathcylde Police. He has told me that, in his opinion, mandatory sentences don't work, that it is deep-seated issues that cause individuals to carry knives and no mandatory sentence is going to prevent that.

"For some individuals it may influence whether they wish to carry a knife or not, but in terms of whether they wish to use it - that is a different thing altogether."

Mr Steele added: "The reality is that alcohol is almost certainly a far greater contributor to serious and violent instances within the home than almost anything else, and that's something that needs to be addressed.

"You have a toxic mix of individuals who misuse and abuse alcohol, are prone to violence and have access to domestic kitchen knives."

The comments came at the SPF conference in Aviemore, where the leaders of Scotland's four main political parties will debate justice policy today.

SPF chairman Les Gray said: "For some reason people are fixated on knife crime at present, when in fact it is just one of the factors that make up the Scottish crime picture.

"Violence and crime isn't all about knife crime - you need to look at the bigger picture.

"We have sufficient powers to deal with what we have on our plate just now in relation to crime - there is no question that we have sufficient powers.

"We need to police the officers to carry out the powers we have at present - our big aim is to make sure police officer numbers are maintained, because we firmly believe there is a direct correlation between police officer numbers and crime and the prevention of crime.

"As far as we are concerned, it is a very simple equation. A lot of politicians don't like to hear that, but it is a proven fact."

Richard Baker, Scottish Labour's justice spokesman, stood by the party's stance on mandatory sentences for those caught carrying knives.

He said: "We agree that we have to have a range of initiatives to tackle violent crime, including effective action to tackle those whose offending is linked to alcohol misuse. In terms of knife murders, the Scottish Government statistics do not reveal how many knife murders took place in the home, compared to on the streets.

"But there can be no doubt that, with nearly 3,000 people convicted of carrying knives last year, this is resulting in far too many deaths and serious injuries."

Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill said: "Under the SNP knife crime has fallen by 30 per cent, but there is more to do and we must tackle Scotland's booze and blade culture, and that means taking action against the cheap alcohol that fuels violence both inside and outside the home."

Liberal Democrat justice spokesman Robert Brown described Labour's stance as a "failed populist policy". He said: "Ninety per cent of people jailed for knife crime have already been in prison. Prison is not a deterrent for most offenders.

Well, thank God Richard 'special' Baker was there to clear up the thinking for us...