Control lost on knife crime

Last updated 12:22, Monday, 14 July 2008

As knife crime soars alarmingly, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announces enough is enough and reveals plans for getting tough. It would be a welcome move were it not so long overdue in delivery and timid in philosophy. But Ms Smith knows her hands are tied. Her crime-fighting options are strictly limited.

Her Government has lost control of knife crime and is in no position to claw back peace and respect on urban streets. Jails can’t handle the custodial punishment that should be meted out to armed offenders and it’s now depressingly clear that no Plan B was formed when eyes were neglectfully taken from the ball of a growing culture of disenchanted, angry youth.

Gordon Brown was today defending his Home Secretary’s plan to pass her problem to emergency departments, victims and their families – a defeat admission that’s indefensible.

Youngsters caught with knives will visit stabbing victims in hospitals to confront the consequences of armed violence.

Quite apart from the distress patients would experience receiving criminals at the very time they received treatment, doctors and nurses might also take a view that they have better things to do than facilitate guided tours of busy casualty departments for young offenders.

Shock tactics? For hospitals, patients and their families perhaps. But shameless violent youngsters will wear their days out as badges of victory.