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Police tackle internet knife gangs | Police tackle internet knife gangs |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Hundreds of weapons have been taken off the streets of Glasgow six months after police started using the web to crack down on gang violence. | |
Young trainee officers at Strathclyde Police search social networking sites for pictures of people posing with weapons, mainly knives. | |
Constable Holly McGee and Cadet Fraser Reed, both 18, carry out the work. | |
"We're looking for anyone who is brandishing offensive weapons or blades," Holly told Newsbeat. | |
"We take the date, the time, detail of what's in the photograph, [then] a copy of the photograph is printed out and thereafter it's all sent to the gangs task force unit." | "We take the date, the time, detail of what's in the photograph, [then] a copy of the photograph is printed out and thereafter it's all sent to the gangs task force unit." |
That's when more experienced officers in the Violence Reduction Unit at Strathclyde Police get involved. | That's when more experienced officers in the Violence Reduction Unit at Strathclyde Police get involved. |
'The law's been broken' | |
The man in charge of this, Superintendent Bob Hamilton, says there are two ways of dealing with people once they've been tracked down. | The man in charge of this, Superintendent Bob Hamilton, says there are two ways of dealing with people once they've been tracked down. |
If they were posing in a public place, like on the street or a park, the law has been broken and they'll be arrested. | If they were posing in a public place, like on the street or a park, the law has been broken and they'll be arrested. |
Even when pictures are taken in private, though, which isn't technically breaking the law, he says the weapons are so dangerous his officers pay a visit to the people involved. | Even when pictures are taken in private, though, which isn't technically breaking the law, he says the weapons are so dangerous his officers pay a visit to the people involved. |
We have large kitchen knives, axes, samurai swords, baseball bats, a huge number and different type of weapons Superintendent Bob Hamilton | We have large kitchen knives, axes, samurai swords, baseball bats, a huge number and different type of weapons Superintendent Bob Hamilton |
"We show the parents their pictures," he explained, "recover the weapons and make sure they know that behaviour is unacceptable. | "We show the parents their pictures," he explained, "recover the weapons and make sure they know that behaviour is unacceptable. |
"We have large kitchen knives, axes, samurai swords, baseball bats, a huge number and different type of weapons - in simple terms weapons that can kill." | "We have large kitchen knives, axes, samurai swords, baseball bats, a huge number and different type of weapons - in simple terms weapons that can kill." |
Superintendent Hamilton says Operation Access has been a complete success. | Superintendent Hamilton says Operation Access has been a complete success. |
"We've questioned more than 400 people, most of them teenagers, as part of it and it's worked so well it will carry on indefinitely," he said. | "We've questioned more than 400 people, most of them teenagers, as part of it and it's worked so well it will carry on indefinitely," he said. |
Other forces from across the UK have also been in touch about the possibility of setting up similar operations. | Other forces from across the UK have also been in touch about the possibility of setting up similar operations. |
Social networking sites Facebook and Bebo both say they're committed to improving safety for their members as well as helping cut crime. | Social networking sites Facebook and Bebo both say they're committed to improving safety for their members as well as helping cut crime. |
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