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Gun crime sentences up for review Gun crime sentences up for review
(about 1 hour later)
The government is considering making gang membership an aggravating factor in sentencing, Home Secretary John Reid has said.The government is considering making gang membership an aggravating factor in sentencing, Home Secretary John Reid has said.
He also said ministers would clarify whether five-year minimum jail terms can be given to youths aged 18-21 for gun offences. He also said ministers would ensure five-year minimum jail terms can be given to youths aged 18-21 for gun offences.
He unveiled the ideas at a gun summit at 10 Downing Street which is looking at a wide-ranging review of gun crime.He unveiled the ideas at a gun summit at 10 Downing Street which is looking at a wide-ranging review of gun crime.
The Conservatives said the summit will not tackle the causes of the problem. But community groups said legislation alone would not solve the problem.
The home secretary revealed a three point plan to tackle gun crime at the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tony Blair. The home secretary revealed a three point plan to tackle gun crime after a spate of fatal shootings involving young people.
It would include tough punishment for those who use other people to look after weapons, improved technology for linking weapons to incidents and increased funding for community groups. It would target policing, legislation and communities, he said.
Measures would include tough punishment for those who use other people to look after weapons, improved technology for linking weapons to incidents and increased funding for community groups.
'Child soldiers''Child soldiers'
Mr Reid also announced a review of the legislation on gangs, guns and knives, focusing in particular on gangs. Mr Reid also announced a review of the legislation on gangs, guns and knives at the meeting of community leaders and crime experts chaired by Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The review will cover sentencing policy, including that involving juveniles, gun supply, gang membership, and which new powers - if any - might be required.The review will cover sentencing policy, including that involving juveniles, gun supply, gang membership, and which new powers - if any - might be required.
A number of community leaders attending the meeting warned that Britain was in danger of creating a generation of "urban child soldiers" and said they were uncomfortable with more legislation on gun crime. HAVE YOUR SAY Guns, knives, hard drugs, gangs are just symptoms of a much bigger problem James Mitchell, London class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=5576&edition=1">Send us your comments
Earlier, shadow home secretary David Davis said gun crime stems from drugs and family break-ups. A number of community leaders attending the meeting warned that Britain was in danger of creating a generation of "urban child soldiers" and said young people needed to be offered an "exit strategy".
He said these were serious problems which will not be fixed by a "one-hour meeting". Mr Reid told the summit he would "look at bringing in a gang and aggravating element in any offence when it comes to sentencing".
Ministers met community workers and crime experts at the summit following a spate of fatal shootings of young people. He would also "lay an order or any orders that are necessary" to make sure a minimum sentence "truly is a minimum sentence" even for those aged18-21.
Ministers say they will push through laws making it an offence for an adult to pass a weapon to a younger person. Although a five year minimum was introduced in January 2004, the appeal court found last March that because of a clash with separate legislation it could not be applied to those under the age of 21.
The Violent Crime Reduction Act, already approved by Parliament, was due to come into effect at the end of the year - but ministers want it to be implemented in April.
Passing a weapon on will be treated in the same way as possession of a weapon.
GUN CRIME The number of people injured by firearms in England and Wales has more than doubled since 1998In 2005/2006, the number of gun murders fell by more than a third from 78 to 50There were 11,084 recorded firearms crimes in 2005/2006 - up 0.12% on previous yearLondon, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands account for 54% of recorded incidents Source: Home Office Shame bad fathers - Cameron Peace march plannedGUN CRIME The number of people injured by firearms in England and Wales has more than doubled since 1998In 2005/2006, the number of gun murders fell by more than a third from 78 to 50There were 11,084 recorded firearms crimes in 2005/2006 - up 0.12% on previous yearLondon, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands account for 54% of recorded incidents Source: Home Office Shame bad fathers - Cameron Peace march planned
He said: "Contributions to this summit have made it clear that effective policing and tough penalties must go hand in hand with education, community action and the personal responsibility of young people themselves."
But the Rev Nins Obunge, of the churches group Peace Alliance, said: "Legislation is not the way forward. We may be raising urban child soldiers."
He said changes in legislation would not help support young people "who need an exit strategy".
"I am very uncomfortable about that," he added.
Mike Todd, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, told the conference children as young as 13 had been found with firearms which they had been asked to hide for others.
Earlier, shadow home secretary David Davis said the causes of gun crime would not be fixed by a "one-hour meeting".
Mr Davis said the government had held a series of summits, but "none of them have generated anything more than a bunch of headlines".Mr Davis said the government had held a series of summits, but "none of them have generated anything more than a bunch of headlines".
And Tory leader David Cameron, who is visiting a community project in Manchester, questioned whether the summit would "get to grips with the issue".
Mr Cameron has argued that a lack of role models was fuelling gang culture and called for fathers to be compelled to take a greater role in bringing up their children.
He supports the idea of tax breaks to help families stay together and promoting a "culture of responsibility and respecting authority".
But Mr Blair said gun crime was a problem within a "specific criminal culture".
The prime minister has suggested the minimum age at which someone faces a mandatory five-year jail sentence for possessing a gun could be reduced from 21 to 17.
And he has told the BBC he is considering criminalising gang membership.
Mr Reid ridiculed Mr Cameron's stance on crime, saying the problem would not be solved by "hugs and kisses".
There have been five fatal shootings in London in the past month, three of which were of teenagers in the south of the city - two of them killed in their own homes.There have been five fatal shootings in London in the past month, three of which were of teenagers in the south of the city - two of them killed in their own homes.
Christian leaders are organising a "prayer walk" through the two London boroughs blighted by recent killings - Southwark and Lambeth.Christian leaders are organising a "prayer walk" through the two London boroughs blighted by recent killings - Southwark and Lambeth.
They say the walk, to take place at dusk on Thursday, will demonstrate the "total abhorrence of the vast majority of black Londoners to gun violence".They say the walk, to take place at dusk on Thursday, will demonstrate the "total abhorrence of the vast majority of black Londoners to gun violence".