That's like saying there's no point in jailing drug/arms/people smugglers. They're all guilty of just having something they shouldn't too.

If there was no punishment for being caught they'd simply do it again, like someone found carrying a knife would. If you'd just been inside for 5 years it might not make your keys, phone, wallet checklist for going out in future.

Optimistic as ever

I personally believe that the law isn't strict enough on people who carry knives. Along with people that house dangerous dogs. The punishment should be deterrent enough, but it isn't. I would assume a lot of first time offenders (no crim-rec) would be released with more or less no further action. People aren't scared to carry a knife.

OT: I know (loosely speaking) one of the people arrested for the murder. When that is how you live your life, that is what happens - as harsh as it sounds. Law abiding citizens usually aren't chased up the street and stabbed to death.

Still not a nice thing, feel sorry for his family - God bless.

When I was 15-16, me and my mates were constantly stopped and searched outside shopping centres, I hated it (as I wasn't an offender) but I preferred it to happen because I knew it was keeping people safe - just like I don't mind seeing a metal detector when I walk into a bar/club as depressing as that is.

Why have they stopped it? I'm pretty sure the percentage of knife crimes dropped as a direct result of these stop and searches taking place more frequently.

Edited by A89M (22 Aug 2016 4.34pm)

Its an illusion that its keeping people safe, because its based on the presumption that stop and search is an effective means of crime prevention.

In truth, the people it picks out are usually on the prephery of the problem. Its like Stop and Search with drugs, typically you pick up a lot of people in possession but rarely anyone who's dealing - Because the people you really want to catch, figure out ways around stop and search.

A good example of this, is the number of kids who are now picked up as 'runners'. Kids make good runners, because a) the sentence tends to be low b) they're far more loyal than adults c) their records are sealed d) they're cheap

Similarly with knives. Younger gang members transport knives and guns, because they'll never get a serious sentence, and often too beholden to be disloyal.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]

They won't, if they're thinking that not having a knife when you need one can be death.

The problem is we go after the knives, the guns and gang members, without ever addressing the problems that cause gangs to flourish.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]

I would say for some, that definitely is the motivation. However, me and a number of my friends grew up in areas that probably frequent crimewatch often. We didn't come from well off homes. We had good parents pushing us in the right direction. I think a lot of the blame has to be held at the parents doors. It is obviously easy for me to say that, but I do believe that is the case. A number of people from where I grew up were "affiliated" so to speak, but never involved. Went to school / college / uni and had friends who did what they did, but they never followed suit and never did it themselves. When you grow up in horrible shytehole places, young kids often look up to the young lads, they've got cars, money, respect.. etc etc. Think it's a good way of life. Get so involved, that they can't un-involve (if that's a real world rofl) themselves as they've got criminal records, etc etc.. no employer will touch them. They sort of condemn themselves to a life of "illegitimate" living, it's a one-way road.

Parents need to get there kids out more and show them there is more to life.