LEST we forget... names of knife crime victims 'litter' the UK

REMEMBRANCE Sunday is this weekend. As well as armed conflict there have been, as many know, thousands killed on UK streets and homes by acts of illegal urban violence... many more than numbers who have died on some modern battlefields and 'theatres of war', in fact.

On this blog at this time we remember Jackie Marshall in whose memory this website was set up to try to change the awful mentality, causes and events that lead to knife crime.

How much real success has there been...? I'm left wondering but there is healthier climate of awareness and education underway to tackle knife crime these days, helped hugely by the many anti-knife crime campaigners out there.

Fixed up on a wall in the Mcdonalds restaurant at Chichester Gate where Jackie was killed back in April 2005 there is marble-type plaque. It sits there overlooking the spot where she was stabbed by assailant Shane Freer and where I held her until the ambulance staff arrived.

The plaque has a poem carved out in Jackie's memory by Samm Gillett:

In memory of Jacky Marshall

Customer Care Manager

A true friend to all, who always took care of the little things

Every moment you graced the lobby floor someone was touched and so much more

You were welcoming, supportive and inspirational

You were affectionate, joyful and sensational

You were genuine, devoted and big hearted

You will be missed dearly departed

Jackie Marshall - Stabbed at Mcdonalds restaurant, Chichester

(You can read more about Jackie on this blog. Use the search box at top of this page or check some of the archived posts about her.)

Knife crime... stabbings... shootings... fighting... British violence... world conflict... how are you making a difference to change things for the better? Really, what are you doing? You could really change things - don't be discouraged.

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.

How to take knife carriers off the streets?

IT WAS horrendous to read of a man being stabbed to death by a young father - the victim approached the parent because his child was crying and was attacked for caring.

Expressing concern for the child, it was reported that Alan Smith (63) approached Matthew Quesada about the distressed tot in the BB Café at Leyton, east London.

Quesada then apparently lost the plot, first swearing at Mr Smith who took flight with his family, retreating to Roma café which was close by. Then Quesada went home, picked up a knife and returned to the café neighbourhood to attack Mr Smith.

Mr Smith was stabbed five (5) times in front of his partner and daughter with Quesada not saying a word but attacking him frenziedly, it was reported at the Old Bailey.

Words fail me to adequately describe the type of person who could do this.

If you know anyone with a knife, text their details to this number now - 88551. I hand out this number with my anti-knife crime campaign card (see below). Maybe you could make up some cards and hand out this number too - why not give it a go... you could help clean up the streets.

The Knife Crime Blog - text a stabber to 88551

Gun + knife criminals revel in their reputations

Browsing around WH Smith's (as all of us in England or other parts of the UK must have done at some time or another), the 'True Crime' section sounded alarm bells. A sizeable section made up of several shelves, the faces of the bad, the violent and the ugly were impossible to miss.

Time is at a premium as I write this so will add to this post later sometime. However, thought I would throw open this post to comments from all. What's your opinion about these type of people enjoying plenty of shelf space in our stores while the work of the good, the kind and the gentle often goes unnoticed? You tell me.

‘Stop a stabber’ - text 88551 on your phone to stop knife criminals

Report anyone carrying or using a knife (or knives) now by texting 88551 on your mobile phone – and you stay anonymous.

It’s that easy. Simply type in as much information as you know about the knife criminals and send your message to 88551.

That’s it. An anonymous service (for knife-carrying) where you will not be identified as an informant. Piloted in London, the scheme is now running nationwide.

Kind of like to think that people using this service are like shrewd secret agents… a hidden army of Simon Templars and 007s out there keeping UK streets safe from deadly idiots and, more importantly perhaps, organised criminals and gangs.

It is recommended to text four key bits of info about the knife criminals:

1. Name and/or nickname
2. Postcode / area
3. School or workplace
4. School year / approx age

Normal texting costs apply (usual network rates) – and don’t forget to delete the text from your sent box to keep yourself squeaky clean!

(Sophisticated technology is used that’s been developed and run by mBlox and Anderson Software to ensure Crimestoppers cannot trace the mobile number or any other details about the text message sender.)

Let’s flippin’ use it, and let’s stop these knife wielding flippers… let’s ruin the lives of the ‘ungodly’…

Knife crime statistics - what's going on? And the politicians are trying to get votes...

Something funny is going on with knife crime figures.

According to the Telegraph, official figures show police recorded 38,082 serious violent or sexual knife offences last year - amounting to 104 every day.

But the previous year's figure was 25,013 - that looks like a 50 per cent rise. Apparently, the Home Office is taking a more detailed look at knife crimes, we're told, so ministers have changed the way crimes are measured

I think this means officials have realised knife crime was being under reported, buried away in other crime figures perhaps.

That said, convictions for carrying a knife have risen over 60 per cent from 3805 (1998) to 6169 (2007) has increased by more than half in ten years, it has been revealed.

Interesting that more people are being convicted - but are more people also carrying, and using, knives in these times?

There seemed to be progress a while back... now there seems confusion. People in charge seem to be doing a poor job communicating a true picture of the knife crime situation. That is not good. Maybe we need a knife and gun crime tsar?

I noticed the Tories (shadow home secretary Chris Grayling) are trying to make political gains, claiming Labour isn't doing enough to tackle knife crime. An election is looming so they are looking for votes. Is Labour doing an ok job? Can the others do any better? To be honest, it makes me sick to compare parties this way for such an emotive issue. Everyone wants to stop knife crime. These people should work together - and make it clear they are working together - on something as important as this or go back down the strange, power-crazed political hole they just climbed out of.

Long may the crackdown on knife carriers and stabbers continue though - but the crime fighters need to communicate and get their act together better.

To text a stabber, try the Crimestoppers service. And don't forget to vote in the poll at the top of the page on whether you would buy or be ok about using the potentially safer 'anti-stab knife'.

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!

Knife crime - text a stabber, Calzaghe + UK children report

Knife crime hasn't been at the top of the media agenda for that long. When I started this blog almost three years ago, coverage was minimal (you may be surprised to know). Now, Google is full of knife crime issues and reporting.

This is terrific progress - observing the media spotlight being shined into all areas of the problem ensures the knife, gun and related violent crime debate is at the centre of things.

Thought I would highlight three key stories of the moment:

• This one deserves endorsement - Shop a stabber with mobile phone texting. Imagine... passing on details of knife carriers with a simple SMS text. This was first covered on this blog early last year (see Crimestoppers post). It's starting to take off on a bigger scale now. Come on everyone, get texting!



• Boxer Joe Calzaghe is urging children to turn away from knife crime. Another celebrity figure joins the (peaceful) fight to try to stop youngsters using blades on UK streets.



• Finally, this blog has never diverted from the belief that there must be some societal change - not just a simple focus on campaigning to get knives out of criminals hands. Thought-provoking then that an insightful report highlights the issues that children face struggling to grow up into an adult society that marginalises young people, leaving some with the feeling that picking up a knife is the only way to achieve some control over their lives.


Selfish pursuit of success threatens children in the UK - this report highlights that children are being damaged by the individualist and self-centred society they are forced to grow up in. As well as problems with family life such as broken homes and growing up with lone parents (and even advertising and alcohol), the Children's Society study singles out the adult pursuit of selfish ambition as a key factor that harms young people.

Anti-knife crime - Crimestoppers 'shop a stabber' campaign

Crimestoppers anti-knife campaign - "shop a stabber". This Crimestoppers poster (shown here) encourages anyone who knows anyone carrying a knife to report them with a simple phone text.Fantastic idea - let's get texting... a few pence to finger a budding murderer, 10 killers for a quid!

Crimestoppers youth / anti-knife resources - website link

And more information about 'text a stabber' here

Knife crime peaceful protest

In one way, this weekend was heartening - thousands of young people marched through London to make a peaceful protest against knife violence, using their talents and love of life to make a point that life is for living, not ending on the point of a blade.

Parade organiser Colin Stewart said: "We are anxious to get as much positive publicity for this event so we can somehow crash into these guys' worlds and see if we can make a difference."

I watched Colin give an interview to Sky News and he was a strong voice of common sense, advocating good standing up against bad in a non-confrontational way - and clearly articulating that carrying knives is a move to the dark side.

And the prime minister Gordon Brown came out on the side of common sense saying that young people found carrying knives will end up in court.

Yet, with all these fine word and actions, stabbings apparently failed to abate with news of knife attacks making the headlines just as strongly as those people trying to stop them. This is no easy 'war on weapons'.

Important then to focus on, perhaps, the key aspect: let's support the call to "change the culture" towards knives.

This is probably the prime issue. Alter the perception about carrying blades; let's work to see the attitude about owning and wielding the damn things move from cool to cringeable, from kosher to coward.

I'm sure progress can be made here. Just like cigarettes are now 'cancer sticks' to the majority, knives used for life-maiming purposes must be shown to lack zero street credibility. The moral majority among us already know to carry knives is moronic - let's keep up the pressure.

Trouble is, those people with blades are dangerous morons. Just as armed forces act in self-defence to protect people who cannot protect themselves from those that would kill them, so must our police, youth workers and others in the front line patrol the boundaries of society, trying to keep out the hordes of nutters with knives from attacking the innocent and law-abiding.

And let's not forget the point from my previous post - adult society is as much to blame, with some poor values and attitudes on display in business and our daily lives (e.g road rage and company bullying, for instance). This should change too... when you see corporate back-stabbing, managers, public servants and business leaders willing to do their dodgy share of the dirty just to sweep up some extra cash and little focus on the human effect, that's pretty immoral and repugnant too.

The worrying trend here though is that the culture that is developing is starting to sound like some kind of Mob mentiality, closet mafiosi maturing into adult society with violent ways to get what they want. Have the football hooligan generals and foot soldiers of the past moved onto UK streets? I'm willing to bet someone a ton that at least several organised elements are milking these things for their benefit. Stories are already surfacing about how gang members see killing - stabbing or shooting as a status symbol - this is mafia territory: you can read about it on Sky News online here.

This starts to sound more and more like a battle against good and evil. Murderous thugs like these - for that's what they are - must not succeed.