New PM Theresa May: Stance on knife crime

THERESA May is the new UK Prime Minister, so I just thought to take a look at her record on knife crime.

May has had a strong focus on changing policing (and I remember well her recent response on criticisms of policing during the Hillsborough travesty and subsequent cover-up at taxpayers expense).

She doesn't seem to think Tory or British politics might be at fault, deciding to give the Met Police a hard time about their public 'excuses' for what's causing rises in knife and other violent crime.

It's a complicated issue; interesting to read then this Telegraph article here where May says police knife crime claims are untrue. 

I've tweeted Government ministers, politicians and others over the past few months about the alarming rise in knife crime with little acknowledgement about how this is being tackled. Can't help feeling, in terms familiar to Christians like Theresa May, that my voice and that of other victims has been a 'voice crying in the wilderness' of British society, police and politics.

No doubt any movement down on knife crime statistics will be lauded by politicians as success of their policies, and the police could claim success too. Can we expect more silence if no improvement happens or things get worse so that UK streets become more dangerous? Probably - unless the Press and public figures can raise the temperature.

I noticed too that knife crime campaigners calls for better retail controls are being implemented, signalled by Theresa May at the Home Office’s International Crime and Policing Conference in March this year. This is good news... established business and ruling powers have listened to common sense.

I remember raising the retail issue on this blog way back in 2006 when a killer went to a local shop in my home city Chichester, spotted some deadly knives on sale and bought a huge hunting blade unchecked before going on to fatally stab Mcdonalds supervisor Jackie Marshall. It's 10 years since Jackie's killing but pleasing to see some real change for the better here.

Considering the above, I think the anti-knife crime movement is working. We are toiling away to try to make society safer and we seem to be making progress, although that progress is slower than we'd like.

Latest knife crime and violence figures:

Increases since Sept 2015 - homicides are up 11% (573 murders, an increase of 56) and offences involving knives and sharp instruments have increased by 9% to 28,008.

UK rise in violent crime over recent years

Please, join our work... Join the conversations and events you see online or offline about tackling this scourge of UK society and you will be joining the anti-knife - and anti-gun - crime campaigners... We are a force for good.

England + Wales trend: Less violence than rest of the world

TO BE AWARE crime in England and Wales shows a trend of non-violence should be considered encouraging for anti-knife crime work.

With all crime at the lowest levels for about 30 years, the non-violence trend brings real hope that campaigners can make much progress to further reduce crimes carried out with sharp instruments - where knife crime figures are circa 26,000+ per year at present.

The trend I highlight is connected to robberies. Robberies account for about 1% of recorded crime while burglaries register 24%. In the USA, while burglaries still outnumber robberies, the proportion of robberies in the crime total is 4x higher.

And how does the tally look for murders on this island of ours, the most serious of crimes? In fact, there is less chance of being murdered in England than most other industrialised societies, according to official figures. (I've flagged this in previous posts, some of you may recall.)

The English murder rate is below that for Japan, less than half that for Germany or France, an eighth of the rate for Scotland or Italy and 26x lower than the United States.

It seems this island of ours has more respect for one another than the citizens of many other countries spread across this fragile planet of ours.

I came across this analysis in Jeremy Paxman's book, The English.  His figure for numbers of robberies is perhaps misleading where the 'Violence against the person' figure (from the Office for National Statistics - ONS - website) is far higher - but the fact there is an obvious trend against violence in this country versus other nations is, as I said, hopeful.

Also notable is the type of Englishman (it's almost always a male!) Paxman highlights as prone to violence... someone like a football hooligan.

Paxman describes one incident where the Swiss had held England to a 1-1 draw in a European Championship match. The Swiss fans were good natured and relatively quiet and unthreatening.

However, at one point outside Wembley, a young shaven headed Englishman eyeballed the Swiss on the other side of the street, ran across the road, shoved his face six inches from one of the young Swiss men in the crowd and screamed 'Wanker' at him.

The Swiss look baffled. The Englishman gesticulated, moving his hand up and down. 'You wanker!' he screamed again, drew back his fist, punched the man in the face and walked through the crowd. 

His walk was casual, cocky, slow enough to invite someone to retaliate for their friend's injury - he was now doubled up, with blood pouring from his nose. But none came, and the thug swaggered off down the pavement, doubtless eager to tell his friends he'd 'done' one of the visiting fans.

Apparently, this is how part of the English population has always been. Fighting (and drunkenness) is considered to be a birthright, maybe. I certainly remember a few from my school days - and those older thugs from the odd Pompey match I had seen (of 657 Crew infamy) and plenty of documentaries on football hooliganism (e.g. Millwall and Chelsea types immediately come to mind).

I can't help thinking that this football fighter caricature applies to those idiots who use weapons. It is a way for these louts / yobs to proclaim their identity; these are the targets to reach. 

As time goes by, I can see that this anti-violence campaign work is not unlike an analogy with the Egyptians of old... an influential nationwide campaign and movement is being built, stone by stone, that deserves to see a remarkable monument (Pyramid) completed to mark a more peaceful nation and world... one day. I would like to predict this is achieved sooner rather than later.

Education programme on dangers of weapon-related crime

THERESA CAVE, mum of fatally stabbed teenager Chris Cave, is inviting schools and other youth organisations to sign up for a hard-hitting programme to try to prevent weapon-related crime.

POINT7 is designed to give young people a broader understanding of the often terrible and hurtful effects on the lives of family, friends and knife / gun crime victims.

The following video highlights the devastation and pain caused by knife and gun crime, and shows excerpts from the POINT7 initiative:



POINT7 is a Tilly award nominee and features on page 12 of ‘Tackling knife crime together - a review of local anti-knife crime projects’ a report orchestrated by Brooke Kinsella in 2011 stating the programme should be prevalent in all schools (Brooke is the sister of another young man, Ben Kinsella from London, killed in a knife attack).

More details about POINT7 programme, which is presented free, can be found on The Chris Cave Foundation website.

New anti-knife website launched to stem rise in UK stabbings

WORKING to reverse a new rise in knife crime announced this week, a campaigning British mum is stepping up her hard-hitting national campaign against violence in the UK.

Set up in memory of her much-loved teenage son Chris Cave, Theresa Cave has launched a new website built by leading international digital marketing consultancy White Hat Media. 

Brighton-based White Hat Media has designed, developed and built the fresh new online platform for The Chris Cave Foundation (http://www.thechriscavefoundation.org), with funding from the National Lottery.

Chris was stabbed to death by a violent gang leader when he was 17 years old. Since then, his mum Theresa has not rested to communicate a relentless and uncompromising anti-violence message to the world.

The mobile-friendly website is another step to better reach more people across the world to try to stop violence and killings. The new site now hosts a range of modern online features and information, including:

• Weapons-related education via the POINT7 anti-knife crime project
• Memorial zone for the families and friends of victims
• Discussion forum for people affected by knife and other violent crimes
• Donations section to contribute to the Foundation's campaigning work

Chris Cave (17), knife victim

Sporting a contemporary look, the site is planned to act as a key information hub on news and facts relating to knife and other violent crime across Britain while also providing a place for those who have been directly affected to come together and discuss experiences.

The Foundation, an evolution of the Mothers for Justice group, was founded by Theresa Cave, after her son's killing on June 5, 2003, in Redcar, a coastal town in the north east of England. 

Chris's foundation is primarily a legacy to young people, aiming to educate and inform with the main aim to eliminate violent crimes.

Theresa's awareness and education work, via face-to-face training and also online using social media and her son’s website, continues to gather support across the UK as well as her home region in the north east of England.

Announcing the new site's launch, Theresa said: "It is important to maintain a high level of knife and violent crime awareness in the country and to provide education, especially for young people, to try to stop the stabbings and other attacks that happen too often.

"I lost my son to knife crime and I won't stop working to get out the message that violence isn't the answer. People must stop and think – and simply not use their fists, knives or any other weapons.

“To hear knife crime is rising means it is more important than ever to focus on hard-hitting messages and education to try to change hearts and minds of those who decide to use violence and carry weapons that can kill.”

She continued: "The new website set up in Chris's memory is a very effective way to communicate about this work and I'm very grateful to White Hat Media for their excellent work putting it together and for the financial support from the National Lottery."

Theresa approached Mark Chapman, Client Strategy and Services Director at White Hat Media, to build the website after they had met online many years ago, sharing tragic experiences as well as a similar desire and drive to stop knife crime and other violence.

Mark set up his own UK knife crime blog (just type in 'knife crime blog' on Google to find it) after he and his family were caught up in a stabbing during a Saturday lunchtime party at a McDonald’s restaurant in Chichester, West Sussex, in 2005. He went to try to save a supervisor who, tragically, had been fatally injured.

Mark said: "Theresa has made huge progress to drive home a powerful, educative message designed to persuade those prone to violence, especially young people, to become more peaceful. By building a new website in Chris's memory, White Hat wanted to show their support for his mum's tireless campaigning."

Kevin Elliott, Operations Director at White Hat Media – whose design and technical team developed the website using the content management system Drupal – said: "We are delighted that Theresa and her family now have a fully-optimised online platform to publicise this important issue. Using the content management system Drupal, we have been able to create an intelligent mobile responsive site that is also social media-friendly."

Further information, interviews, quotes, online marketing and website case studies are available on request. Contact: Gemma Nash, Content & Social Media Executive, telephone: 08455 440223 Email: gemma.nash@whitehatmedia.com

Knife crime statistics up to Sept 2014 (official release Jan 2015)

KNIFE crime data is back in the news this week; annual figures up to September 2014 have been reported into the public domain. I've made a little time to update my look at the latest statistics release.

First, some initial interpretation of the recorded knife crime stats...

As per my previous assessments, the trend of selected offences committed with knives and other sharp instruments continues to drop, but only slightly; the figures Sept 2013 to Sept 2014 are down 2% on the previous year to 25,721 (knife crime in 2010 was reported as 32,890).

Statistically, is that assessment accurate? Well, there looks to have been a decent downward trend since 2010. A trend of this nature should be a good sign, although it's natural to query the coincidence of the data being downward since the general election in 2010; politicians are wanting to keep their quite comfortable jobs in this year's election and will be keen to demonstrate they've brought down crime figures.

So, to repeat, with an election looming, the topline of this knife crime report implies there has been a downward trend - but look more closely and we see police-recorded crime has not fallen. No change is reported for police recorded crime, with rape and sexual offences at highest levels since the early 2000s (maybe political and organisational reasons for the police trend here).

So, now I'm going to briefly consider how that data is reported this time compared to one of my previous assessments...

To show you how our public officials have a highly dubious record tackling crime and have had a poor grasp of crime figures in the past, let me shine a chink of a spotlight on what they seem to have been doing in the past couple of years with the crime figures:

Knife crime statistics April 2011 to March 2013

Why publish a couple of years data here in 2013- where's the meaningful, accurate data? Were officials being 'economical' with the figures prior to this point? Poor or changing systems of statistical management by civil servants and politicians in the past is my educated reflection.

Knife crime statistics April 2010 to Sept 2014 (GE = General Election in 2010)

Now (above), the latest crime report shows data stretching back to 2010 - but no earlier than that published here. It begs the question... why was there so much reticence to show a clear picture of past crime data? Poor counting of crime date and too many 'leaders' with their reputations, jobs and/or salaries at risk, I suggest. I make that allegation because people have been regularly dying from stabbings and other murders and killings - and still are - as a result of 'Whitehall fiddling with figures', an apparent mis-management and lack of accurate crime information which should have always been available to the public.

It is saddening how crime figures have been poorly tracked in the past - and it has undoubtedly been a tragic lapse... fatally so. My point continues to be that without decent statistical data measuring the crime problems, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to manage solutions to crime. Without reasonable data, it is also easy for all manner of careerist politicians, civil servants and police forces to avoid responsibility for their poor activity to prevent crime, especially saving people's lives. Blood on their hands, it seems.

Does this sound unlikely? All those people paid vast amounts more salary than the majority wouldn't have made such mistakes over so many years would they? I'm not going to go into this further at this point other than state just two examples - Hillsborough and MPs expenses scandal. Huge failures there, mirrored often throughout our public service systems, it seems.

NB: I'm doing this assessment late on a Saturday evening on my own, so no-one else is working with me to check my conclusions; this is because I do this in my free time, voluntarily, in support of knife crime victims, their friends and families, and also other victims and circles adversely affected by all forms of violence. You may notice I am highly sceptical of actions of public servants paid by taxpayers to solve these problems. I believe this approach is necessary, borne out by the too frequent poor running of government.

I'm always open to offers of assistance running this blog because my spare time is not huge. Tonight isn't too bad - I'm just finishing this listening to MTV and Mark Ronson's Uptown Funk to keep me going. Onwards...

Knife crime data source for this article:

Statistical bulletin: Crime in England and Wales, Year Ending September 2014 - Crime Offences involving knives and sharp instruments (released January 2015)

How the Internet is helping work to defeat knife crime

JUST reflecting on Good Friday on anti-knife crime work where some people have had doubts about the value of the Internet and social media, considering them variously as peripheral, a waste of time, trivial... 

Well, without any doubt I have linked up with many people in different parts of the UK via the web - and on occasion other parts of the world - in a way I've noticed has brought strength and support in the most painful and difficult of times... and I continue to do so.

Think I maybe helping - statistics recording those injured due to violent crime are decreasing according to new data it was just announced this month (April 2014).

I ask you to take a look through this blog, read the posts, join friends on my anti-knife crime Facebook account, check out other campaigners' social media accounts and actions; numbers uniting against knife (and gun) are slowly growing.

Many of us affected by knife crime have got in touch, got informed, got through, got organised. Here's to the Web, capable to be a massive help at the lowest of times when it can be so hard to find friends, understanding, care, support - and then onwards to help life go on, maybe even save lives.

Happy Easter.

(Previous reflection about knife crime and Good Friday)

Poverty and the young - search for knife crime solutions part 3

ANOTHER solution area worth exploring is the alleged severe and demonising way we treat young people in Britain. By punishing those who have yet to learn to be an effective part of the country, their community, we make them more dysfunctional - and we fear them more when they don't conform. And then (in the UK) we criminalise them, arresting them for, say, hanging out. In Finland they take a different approach by working in a proactive way, working a system of systematic care for their young... while the UK is pretty roundly condemned across the world for its attitudes to youth.

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has remarked on 'the general climate of intolerance and negative attitudes towards children, especially adolescents, which appears to exist in the UK, including in the media, and may be often the underlying cause of further infringements of their rights'. Interesting and thought provoking, possibly indicating poor government rule, poor childrens policies + politics, poor parenting across this nation, poor environments many have to live in, and clear prejudice + resentment among adults towards young people.

Adults seem to be afraid to look in the mirror, transferring their hidden psychological ills and failed lives and communities on to 'the young' for simply walking about. That said, maybe adults are merely a product of their difficult backgrounds as they grew up and this 'dog-eat-dog' work environment that many of us seem to bound up in. Sometimes I think some existence in this country - especially when caught up in drunken violence and street, gang + knife crime - is what is meant when life is described as 'hell on earth'!

A final most noteworthy issue in my reflections on developing solutions to knife crime comes from, among others, the World Health Organisation. Apparently, obvious poverty is not linked to violence; in fact, it's relative deprivation that is the causal link. The WHO reports that rising income inequality in Europe has resulted in an increase in numbers of murders.

And that, bearing in mind the current strong focus on tackling dodgy bankers, bullying businesses and the super-rich, makes one applaud the political and media drive to nail down those corrupt and flawed elements of capitalism that are making everyone's lives worse.

WHO reports: "Overall, good evidence indicates that violence among young people can be prevented through the organised efforts of society... And the evidence base is much stronger for interventions that adopt a public health rather than criminal justice approach, and for those that reduce risk factors and strengthen protective factors among young people early in life than for measures that seek to reduce violent behaviour once it has already emerged."

Interesting - have you noticed there are many medical conditions for young people these days? Maybe an unspoken drive by world medics to manage the murder / violence risk? Very speculative, I guess, but food for thought. 

Anyway... starting to concluding this reflective mini 'essay', good progress has pretty obviously been made highlighting the issues of knife crime and other violence to the country. And there are clearly many individuals and groups (especially those directly affected by knife crime) who have worked in local communities - and are active now - to make a difference for the public good. It is relatively clear that some reductions in knife crime have been made, at least at times. Without doubt, many are motivated to solve the problems of violence.

And so, where to now...? 

Real in-roads must be made to drive down the average violent deaths carried out daily on British streets... from two a day by, say, a third (that would be a reduction in killings of about four or five a week). Can we do that by 2020 or sooner?

That would be a real success measure of initiatives started around the start of this millennium. Don't know to be honest; feels like an ambitious goal - but no politician or government has shown the public courage, commitment or initiative to set it, as far as I have observed, so maybe it's left to the knife crime and anti-violence campaigners to do so. We can but try. Onwards...

Solutions to the knife crime menace in the UK: part 1

WHAT progress has been made tackling knife crime in the years since this blog started? I've taken a little time out to reflect on the situation over the summer holidays... hope these reflections and evaluations prove useful.

In the book 'Britain etc', the journalist Mark Easton (Home Editor at the BBC) reports a stark but simple truth about the latest knife crime facts: "As a rough average, two people are murdered every day in Britain. The most common weapon used is a blade or other sharp instrument. The most likely stab victim is a young man." In fact, a third of all murders are caused by some kind of blade or other stabbing implement.

So, in a very clear way, that brings us right up to date with the knife crime statistics - and very terrible they are too.

So, more reflectively, my first blog post was published a few months after the fatal stabbing of Jacky Marshall, a supervisor in a McDonalds restaurant at Chichester, West Sussex, England, on a Saturday lunchtime in April 2005 when children's fun and parties were in full swing.

I was a witness who went to try to help the victim, cradling a fatally injured Jacky in my arms as her life ebbed away. It was most devastating to her family and traumatising for many, not least this anti-knife crime blog writer. The Crown's case against the killer Shane Freer was not yet begun and I had decided to try to make a difference to the wider national debate and deliberations about knife crime by starting a blog that provided focus on forming solutions and gave some kind of coherent outlet for the outpourings and anguish of those affected by this scourge of the nation.

At that time I recall an undercurrent of awareness about quite frequent knife attacks and a powerlessness to address what was sensed as a kind of invisible evil. Media attention was certainly less attentive and highly reactive. High profile cases, for example the horrendous deaths of Stephen Lawrence, Damilola Taylor and Ben Kinsella, expressed national as well as local outrage - but there was possibly not the highest appropriate focus on addressing the depraved violence that was, and continues to be, a sickening hallmark of all knife crime across the nation - and of course mostly any kind of violent attack.

The parents of Stephen Lawrence parents pursued justice for their slaughtered son pretty much all the time this blog has run - see Stephen's timeline for justice. Similarly, the parents of Damilola Taylor have campaigned for solutions to problems in inner city communities (see the Damilola Taylor trust website). And then there was the Kinsella family campaigning and the formation of The Ben Kinsella Trust, led by his actress sister Brooke.

In addition to these, there are the many other victims, equally innocent and no less deserving of public attention. Pictures of many (from London) can be seen on this knife crime blog post.

And so, where are we now - really?

I've observed many groups and families affected by such crime; as well as obvious grief and a desire for comfort, they search I've noticed (sometimes unconsciously) for some kind of focal point to best channel their grief to solve the devastation of a killing that has afflicted their lives and lives of friends, relatives and of people within their local communities. They look for some kind of societal and national unity, some kind of common group, banner or standard to rally around. With this, families and friends of victims across the country - perhaps the world - would feel they can make better progress together to deter aggressive, violent, weapon-carrying behaviour. 

I've observed Government clumsily offering a little solace and resource to help. I've seen too that Government, as in many other areas, fail to properly measure, better understand and communicate about the violence issue. And yet, obviously, Government is full of people with concern and good intentions.

So how to stop the killing, the maiming with blades - or indeed with any weapon? How much closer is a solution, or achieving synergy across a variety of suggested solutions and initiatives?

My view is there is now much greater understanding about where solutions could be found. More research and knowledge about the causes of knife crime are available. But I think many campaigners and communities need to work out how to arrive at solutions more quickly. That's not a criticism; it's more about moving towards the common goal of eliminating knife crime, as much as possible, in parallel with all other campaigning. Possibly greater leadership is needed to bring all this together, perhaps more objective leaders who can help bring together all those different anti-violence initiatives, groups and individuals, and national + local officials.

Look for areas where significant differences can be made. For example, most murders are 'male-on-male', confrontational or grudge/revenge killings. 

Confrontational might typically be about a couple of alcohol-fuelled lads not intent on killing the other (initially). So reducing fights and alcohol use on Saturday nights makes sense with many police and pub security staff always involved here providing deterrents most weekends. (More killings occur on Saturdays than Mondays!) If only young men would drink more responsibly, then our streets and drinking holes would not be so fearsome at nights.

Grudge killings however tend to be premeditated and weapons are carried to the scene, frequently linked to gangs with boys and teenaged men aged 10 to 19. Some 13% of these 'gangsters' have carried knives in the previous year, according to research. Killings happen due to being 'dissed' - disrespected, disparaged, or simply feeling treated with such contempt. 

These people really need to 'grow up' in this tough, modern world, take some personal responsibility for their lives and actions - but they can't seem to deal with 'tough' - they prefer silencing problems with weapons; it seems an easier solution.

But you can't say that to them perhaps... it would be likely to make things worse.

And of course, what this country's business and political leaders offer as an alternative to aggressive weapon-carriers doesn't appear that appealing or palatable i.e. hard work with no guarantee of decent wages, pension, reasonable prices, decent home, affordable taxes etc. And not forgetting corrupt banks, greedy psychopathic corporations, bullying workplaces and the like. And not forgetting too, research tells us, the 'dog-eat-dog' work environment as dictated by business, political and local leaders, especially in the UK. It's a world many do not want, do not want to participate in (especially young men). There's little in it for them. Using a knife or a gun with violence brings some control to some people's lives, it seems.

In my next post I reflect on the knife crime statistics in more detail and also examine in a fairly broad sense the causes of knife crime, specifically poverty. Check back here when you get chance. Thanks for reading.

Trek For Ben Kinsella gala night raised £35k-plus

One of the event's organisers, actress Brooke Kinsella, has announced that the Trek For Ben Gala at Gilgamesh  at the end of June raised more than £35,000 for The Ben Kinsella Trust.


"Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who came and supported. That money will allow us to do so much good work in Ben's name so thank you, thank you, thank you xxx," said Brooke.


It was June 29 2008 when Kinsella's 16-year-old brother, Ben, was killed by a gang of three youths in London. He had been out celebrating the end of GCSE exams with friends in Shillibeers Brasserie Bar, North Road, when trouble broke out and later spilled on to a nearby street. See Wikipedia piece on Ben Kinsella for more information.


The Ben Kinsella Trust is organising a range of fund-raising events to help fund anti-knife crime initiatives. For details, visit the Ben Kinsella Trust web pages and Facebook accounts.

Ben Kinsella celebrity gala evening "to put the knives away"

WHAT are you doing on the evening of Monday June 25th (this month)? Does your diary or calendar show anything on? Just check it now... go on.

Why not think about having a great night out while donating to the campaign against knife crime?

While enjoying a night of fun and celebrity, you can help make a difference to the sometimes lawless streets and homes of Britain.

**STOP PRESS: You can now buy tickets for this special evening by visiting the tid music website here.

The night is designed to help raise money for The Ben Kinsella Trust (see www.benkinsella.org.uk).

Helping organise the event, actress Brooke Kinsella and sister Jade are planning a trek to Peru's Machu Picchu mountain ridge to lay a stone for brother Ben who was stabbed and died when he was aged 16.

The commemorative act is planned for October 27 this year marking Ben's 21st birthday had he been alive today.

See event details 'full size' by clicking poster

Comedian and tv show host Alan Carr will MC at the celebrity gala evening to be held at Gilgamesh, The Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8AH.

Alan Carr to host The Ben Kinsella Trust gala evening

Entertainment will be provided by Jaz Ellington from The Voice UK, Lemar and The West End Cast of We Will Rock You, Damage - with music by Pete Tong plus a 'Special Guest'.

Tickets are priced at £130 and £100 for (slightly) restricted view.

A truly great event to support - and help persuade people to stop carrying knives, to put the knives away.

There are many examples these days of strong and powerful campaigns, creative, design, writing and activities in the UK today that focus on preventing knife and other violent crime

Probably one of the more effective is The Ben Kinsella Trust.

If you've not looked through the Trust's website (or Facebook pages), and I mean really looked through it, go on and take a look.

View the videos, study the photos and the messages, observe the positive work underway to try to make a difference to the knife crime menace that seems to pervade this nation at times.

Aftermath of knife crimes

The Kinsella family, friends and associates are more public living examples of what happens after a knife crime event. They have been through the tragedy, devastation and many other lows as they try to move on from a killing of a loved one. (And there are also some suffering in private, perhaps alone, and without the comfort of hearing from people who understand suffering; they may need reaching more than others.)

Reading through some of the Ben Kinsella coverage, the following incident causes one to reflect how the impact of knife crime goes on a long time after a fatal attack.

_________________________________________________________

Here's a reflection about one incident to have affected the Kinsellas...

Brooke + Jade Kinsella

If of sound mind, you'd think you'd just want to keep a low profile if involved in killing someone. You'd think the shame and guilt would get to you. But of course, perhaps these minds are not quite that sound.

Imagine that's why Jade Braithwaite one of those convicted of the murder of Ben Kinsella started using Facebook while in prison to say: "I'm down but not out" and posted a photo of a t-shirt with 'Free Jade' emblazoned on it (see this Jade Braithwaite 'using Facebook in jail' media coverage).

No words necessary to describe how much most people would be sickened at that. People don't want to hear that rubbish; they are more likely looking for at least some regret for a wrong action. Forgiving killers so full of themselves isn't really on the agenda when they start spouting about their 'ego' and nothing about the life they have taken away.

_________________________________________________________

This is just one example of how the aftermath of a knife crime murder (or maiming) can devastate and continue to hurt those affected by murderers who take (or damage) people's lives in a moment and wound the victim's loved ones for the rest of their lifetimes.

Think about attending the Trek For Ben Celebrity Gala Evening, or simply donating to The Ben Kinsella Trust. You just might help prevent suffering, save a life... maybe many. These are good things to do.

Onwards...

Passionate anger in pursuit of peace in the knife crime business

As time goes on with knife crime campaigning, or indeed any kind of campaign, things can become less motivating where progress seems difficult to achieve. I just thought I'd write a short piece about giving up... or rather not giving up - it's worth keeping on.

It is quite isolating at time writing a blog; I've tried to contact some key people, kept focus on the key issues (and probably strayed off script at times), always invited comments, passed on Facebook details, tried to make time where there seems little to find. Staying motivated can be a struggle - one can get tired, weary etc and wonder if things will really change that much, especially as the killings and injury crime figures keep on piling in.

That said, when someone fatally stabbed dies in your arms, I don't think the motivation to change things can leave you.

And to campaign for peace does not mean being passive. In fact, a form of aggression is needed, determination, perseverance. Some aggression is not necessarily negative - combined with passion, it can drive an athlete on to achieve; it can drive on those campaigning for justice, truth, change in the knife and violent crime business.

To know criminally-minded people are killing and injuring others will always be wrong. Moderation in the face of such devastation must not be countenanced. It is necessary to become angry when people do not put down the knives, the guns.

Such anger is not 'out of control' - it is essential to try to restore proper order. We probably need our own house in order too, but a moderate reaction just won't do. Just as many are angered by corrupt bankers and greedy corporations and businessmen in recent economic times,  so it is with knife carriers. Criminal, evil acts must not be tolerated.

An aggressive pursuit of justice and truth, of change for the better is required. It is essential - and it is a peaceful pursuit.

Knife crime campaigners: keep on pushing, don't be discouraged...

We have to wonder if efforts to curb knife crime are having much effect after latest knife crime statistics show four in 10 youth killings are from blades.


Having said that, I detect signs of hope that we may win this campaigning... we are fortunate in this country (UK) to have the lowest knife death rates in Europe (see Guardian story - Knife is most common weapon used in killings of young people)


So take heart... be encouraged... keep up the pressure... "keep on pushing, don't be discouraged"... anti-knife crime campaigners continue to unite - we can beat such a terrible scourge affecting this nation and countries around the world. Dream on and the shanking yobs and knife criminals we'll beat...


STOP PRESS: Offensive weapons crimes such as those involving knives have fallen to their lowest level for ten years, according to latest police statistics (I think they are Scottish stats). Still a long way to go but read more here - Knife crime at lowest level for a decade.

Killing of my brother, by Tom Cave - aged 9

Toying with the idea of using violence today? Using a knife or a gun? Think on young Tom's message...


"I was three when they stabbed him.

"Mam told me he had gone on a train to the sky.

"The 'kids' told me there was lots of blood everywhere...

"My mam tells me to 'share' my thoughts and i do. Now i am nine and i understand exactly what happened to my brother and i can deal with it because i shared my thoughts and questions with mam.

"I find it better to cope with now as even though i loved him i can hardly remember him so its easy for me to cope.

"I will never have another brother because they stole my future when they murdered my brother. Don't be like me - sad, lonely and angry and confused as to who i am because you would not like it at all.

"I am lucky i have life and love and my mam who's got lots of memories to keep my brother alive in my head - my heart is his.

"Please dont kill because you can live a good life because you too are loved by many."

         ... from: Tom Cave (aged 9).

Tom's mum, Theresa Cave, has become part of an impactful knife and gun crime programme called Point 7 which has been building steady support in the UK.

Theresa set up a proactive memorial group - the Chris Cave Foundation (on Facebook) - to remember her son, beaten and killed in a stabbing, as well as campaign against knife and other violent crime.

She describes the Point 7 programme, which she and Tom have been involved with, as "wonderfully impactful" and "very much in demand".

She said: "The presentation consists of films, true experiences, weaponry and their uses in the streets - and professionals such as the paramedics, youth offending teams and police come together to present what I would say is the most impactive, hard-hitting, lasting memory of the consequences that are to be had choosing a life of violent crime.

"Point 7 show the most serious and brutal of wounds to actual victims and even animals. Knife and guns are on show and debates take place between the young people present.

"True life stories and heart wrenching results are always to be had with this presentation given freely by this wonderfully expert team of professional people dedicated to the cause and to the youths of today."

Read Press coverage about the Point 7 anti-knife crime / anti-violence programme (the Sunday Sun)

The presentation is available to adult organisations and agencies accross the country and training is on offer to anyone wanting it. Toolkits are available (soon) and the workshops are in six parts.

For anyone wishing to know more about this anti-knife crime, anti-gun, anti violence programme, please call 01642 498451 or 07981 991482 for more information.

Knife crime and anti-gun campaigning in the USA

ANTI-KNIFE and gun crime campaigning mums in the UK and the USA linked up this week to keep alive the memories of their murdered children - and to keep pressing for weapons to better controlled.

 

Pictures of young people Chris Cave and Bonnie Barrett - the son and daughter of Theresa Cave and Jackie Barrett - were carried in a 'Million Mom March' in the Bronx, New York City.

Details of the march can be found in press coverage found online including in an ABC News site and the New York Daily News.

New York resident Allison Diehl-Wilhite sent a touching message to UK mums Theresa and Jackie after the march, saying:

“The march was wonderful and so powerful. We were interviewed by the New York Post and the Mott Hill Courant. When we see the paper we will post them and send to you both. Chris, Bonnie and Jeremiah's pictures will be in them.

“They were so surprised to find they were from the UK and that it was their mothers who loved me while I wanted to die and brought me to a place where I could begin to heal.

“Spoke how strong you are and how you are such influential advocators there for justice.

“The woman who started the New York Chapter wants me to start a chapter here in Connecticutt. There is no chapter here.

“It scares me but i have you as such a powerful example. I love you. If you don't mind they asked about all three of their stories and I spoke on them some. I hope it was ok.

“I also spoke of the Chris Cave Foundation and F.A.M.E. and how you have taught me to fight for justice.

“I don't know if they will print it all but I will post the paper and send to you.

“I really feel like Chris, Bonnie and Jeremiah are with each other and very strong in friendship. Happy Mothers Day....all my love to you.”

Knife and gun crime campaigning is international with grief and tragedy affecting so many in different ways. Join the peaceful fight to stop the killing, to stop weapons use. Do not pass by on the other side. Victory will come to the decent people of the world.

'Miles Not Knives' nominated as Children's Champion

READ and learn about Danny O'Brien who runs the 'Miles Not Knives' group - you would be wise to vote for him as a Children's Champion in the News of the World. You can also join the 'Miles Not Knives' Facebook group.

Soon (hopefully), he will be penning the odd post for this knife crime blog. Please give him a warm welcome - it's cold and deadly out there sometimes, it's very sad to say. Into a new decade against murders and violence we go...

Daence, music, no knives and no crime - ever?

"If you have a knife in your pocket you'll end up using it"... runs the promo line on Facebook group 'You Have A Choice'.

'Don't Shank Just Skank' - Adam Deacon talks knives and knife crime (www.itdoesnthavetohappen.co.uk)

Adulthood and Kidulthood star points out there are other options in life rather than picking up / carrying a knife. Knives and professionalism don't mix. "Don't Shank Just Skank" - out now. Worth buying to help maybe.

New anti-stab knives - coming soon!

Congratulations to John Cornock, inventor of the new anti-stab knife set to go on sale across the UK before Christmas (can't it be sooner...). Wonder how many lives it could save?

It makes sense for all anti-knife and knife crime campaigners to lead a push to encourage all households to replace kitchen blades with this type of new knife - and perhaps other types of blade too. What does everyone think?

Take a look at John's company website - www.newpointknives.co.uk

While not completely safe, this one has been designed over four years to work in the kitchen, but not be effective as a weapon.

By utilising a unique "combination tip", the tip has a rounded edge (much like my thoughts referred to in a knife crime blog post a couple of years ago) next to a very small point, the cutting blade sits below the blunt area.

Great for chopping veg, the tip makes stabbing quite difficult and it is designed to snag on clothing and skin. Apparently this makes it "very unlikely to inflict a fatal wound" - and tests have proven it to work.

Want to know more about how these stab resistant knives work? Read about the anti-stab design. Some more anti-stab knife info here at The Times Online. Some readers say it's ridiculous but I think it has potential, a step in the right direction. Here's hoping...!

MP ignores anti-knife crime campaign

MPs (Members of Parliament) are a very strange breed - and the way the one below showed virtually zero interest in anti-knife campaign work is a proof point to me that there seems little point in voting for these people. I wonder if there's a better way than pinning hopes on unreliable parts of humanity like this. Not worth voting for anyway.

Anyway, to explain, I got in touch with Danny O'Brien, a leader of the Miles Not Knives Campaign (see earlier post), after he mentioned on Facebook that Ilford MP Mike Gapes didn't give him the time of day on an anti-knife crime petition he was organising. Here's Danny's account:

"Mike Gapes is the Labour MP for Ilford and this week I was in the town centre doing my anti-knife petition stall in the town centre.

"I will admit that yesterday was a poor day with only 76 people only signing the petition, but during the afternoon I saw Mr Gapes walking past my stall and I asked if he would back our knife campaign by signing the petition. But he told me "No" as he never signs petitions and just carried on walking not even showing any interest in the campaign.

"I was very suprised that somebody who works for my town could just walk past. I will admit that I did shout out to him that I bet he was quick to sign for his expenses."

I'm sending a copy of this post to various Ilford news media. Here's hoping they follow up this issue with the right honourable gentlemen and we can all be 'honoured' with this MP's time on an important matter which he's shown to be unwilling to give.

Are more young people now reporting the stabbers?

If any confirmation was needed that the knife-wielding scourge in this country is a long way from being solved, it is the news that children aged under 10 have been stopped carrying blades.

A total of 31 youngsters under 16 years old were charged last year for being in possession of a knife compared to just a dozen in 2004. 

Alarming statistics.

However, there is at least anecdotal evidence suggesting more young people are reporting their peers for carrying knives - which of course could explain the increase and makes it good news.

Keep shopping the stabbers - that's a message we can keep promoting this year. Simply, knife-carrying is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Come on, crime fighters - keep shopping the stabbers!

Anti-knife crime work on Facebook

Anti-knife crime campaigning is alive and well on Facebook. Not sure if readers of this blog are aware but there is a huge number of anti-violence, knife and gun groups on FB.

Here's one I wanted to highlight - the Miles Not Knives Campaign (this is a Facebook link) is one of many worth following. Plenty of activity and many members.

If you wanted to feel you were contributing to the anti-knife campaigning, support Danny and his Facebook group!

When I joined, the organiser Danny O'Brien followed up with a personal message which I publish below to give you a flavour of his dedication etc.

Coming up he has a big fundraising walk some of you football fans may want to support - it's a 24-hour knife awareness walk between Tottenham and Arsenal football grounds starting Saturday May 30 at 10am.

Danny said:

"Thank you for joining my group and for offering your support. I am a novice at this anti-knife group compared to many. I was one of the main organizers of THE PEOPLES MARCH last September, but sadly that group disbanded afterwards and so this year I have formed my own group and already we have hit nearly 1,900 members. 

"What I lack in funds etc I make up in time spent online and out explaining the danger of knife crime. I am doing a 24 hour fund raising walk with money going to the Ben Kinsella fund. 

"I like to build up my own website, but not that IT clever and also trying to find a cheap price for printing t-shirts etc as I made a promise to make my group as proactive as poss in the battle against knife crime.

"Best Wishes Danny"