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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Knife-carrying down in 'hotspots' | Knife-carrying down in 'hotspots' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The number of teenagers caught carrying knives has fallen in areas where police have specifically targeted knife crime, according to government figures. | The number of teenagers caught carrying knives has fallen in areas where police have specifically targeted knife crime, according to government figures. |
| Officers from 10 forces in England have searched 105,000 young people in the six months since the launch of a £2m Home Office campaign. | Officers from 10 forces in England have searched 105,000 young people in the six months since the launch of a £2m Home Office campaign. |
| In June, one in 30 was caught carrying a knife. By October, it was one in 65. | In June, one in 30 was caught carrying a knife. By October, it was one in 65. |
| The figures show serious injuries and deaths down 17%. In the UK in 2008, 34 teenagers have died from stab wounds. | The figures show serious injuries and deaths down 17%. In the UK in 2008, 34 teenagers have died from stab wounds. |
| Twenty-three of them died in London. | Twenty-three of them died in London. |
| Home Secretary Jacqui Smith told the BBC she welcomed the progress that had been made, but said: "We also need to prevent young people from picking up a knife in the first place." | |
| She announced that an additional £20m would be made available by government to community organisations working with young people to provide alternatives to crime. | |
| "Frankly, I don't think it's an excuse [to say], 'There isn't something for me to do on a Friday night, [so I'll] carry a knife on our streets'," she said. You need to have specialist detectives working on these issues Brian PaddickFormer Met Police deputy assistant commissioner Guns and knives on the streets | |
| "But I do think in the longer run, providing those alternatives helps to ensure that young people know there is something positive that they can be doing rather than carrying a knife." | |
| Last month, the government's efforts to beat knife crime were criticised by Labour MP Keith Vaz, who chairs the Home Affairs Select Committee. | Last month, the government's efforts to beat knife crime were criticised by Labour MP Keith Vaz, who chairs the Home Affairs Select Committee. |
| Speaking at the start of a cross-party knife crime inquiry, Mr Vaz said the measures were "clearly not working" and called for "legitimate, appropriate political solutions". | Speaking at the start of a cross-party knife crime inquiry, Mr Vaz said the measures were "clearly not working" and called for "legitimate, appropriate political solutions". |
| Stop-and-search | Stop-and-search |
| However, the Home Office - which launched its Tackling Knives Action Programme in June - defended its work. | |
| It said more than 2,200 knives had been seized during targeted stop-and-search operations and that courts were getting tougher with offenders. | It said more than 2,200 knives had been seized during targeted stop-and-search operations and that courts were getting tougher with offenders. |
| The home secretary said the 10 force areas taking part in the programme account for 80% of serious violence involving a knife. | |
| They are London, Essex, Lancashire, West Yorkshire, Merseyside, the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Nottinghamshire, South Wales and Thames Valley. FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/default.stm">More from Today programme | |
| Trading standards officers in those areas have begun carrying out sting operations to target traders who sell knives to under-18s. | Trading standards officers in those areas have begun carrying out sting operations to target traders who sell knives to under-18s. |
| The government is also providing an extra 85 metal detecting search arches and 566 "wands" to the forces for use in anti-knife operations. | The government is also providing an extra 85 metal detecting search arches and 566 "wands" to the forces for use in anti-knife operations. |
| Former Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Brian Paddick told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that stop-and-search must be used "intelligently and sensitively". | |
| He said police must develop stronger community links in order to encourage people to come forward anonymously and identify individuals who are carrying knives. | |
| Mr Paddick also said that tougher enforcement was needed in more serious cases. | |
| "When you get to the stage where you have organised gangs then community policing is not going to cut it," he said. | |
| "You need to have specialist detectives working on these issues, trying to dismantle these gangs, trying to bring cases of conspiracy to commit violent offences, which community police are not equipped to deal with." |