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| Police to focus on violent crimes | Police to focus on violent crimes |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Police in England and Wales are to focus more on combating violent crime involving guns, gangs and rape and will be given equipment to detect knives. | |
| Jacqui Smith is to unveil the Tackling Violence Action Plan on Monday. | Jacqui Smith is to unveil the Tackling Violence Action Plan on Monday. |
| The government plan will include hundreds of metal-detecting arches and search wands for communities, aimed at combating the carrying of knives. | The government plan will include hundreds of metal-detecting arches and search wands for communities, aimed at combating the carrying of knives. |
| Ms Smith said the government was also taking a "very serious look" at the impact of low prices for alcohol. | Ms Smith said the government was also taking a "very serious look" at the impact of low prices for alcohol. |
| The action plan will also focus on alcohol use, which is a factor in almost half of all violent incidents. | The action plan will also focus on alcohol use, which is a factor in almost half of all violent incidents. |
| A £1m awareness campaign will seek to convince young people that carrying a knife actually increases their risk of being a victim of violence. | A £1m awareness campaign will seek to convince young people that carrying a knife actually increases their risk of being a victim of violence. |
| Ms Smith will announce new resources for hundreds of metal-detecting arches and search wands for local communities. | Ms Smith will announce new resources for hundreds of metal-detecting arches and search wands for local communities. |
| The equipment is thought to be portable enough to go in the back of a police car and be taken to pubs, clubs, schools. | The equipment is thought to be portable enough to go in the back of a police car and be taken to pubs, clubs, schools. |
| Knives were linked to 258 deaths in 2006-7 compared with 219 the previous year. | Knives were linked to 258 deaths in 2006-7 compared with 219 the previous year. |
| 'Greatest concern' | 'Greatest concern' |
| The plan also aims to build on a recent drive to clamp down on the sale of alcohol to under-18s. | The plan also aims to build on a recent drive to clamp down on the sale of alcohol to under-18s. |
| The Home Office said that although just 1% of crime involves serious violence, alcohol is a factor in almost half of all violent incidents. | The Home Office said that although just 1% of crime involves serious violence, alcohol is a factor in almost half of all violent incidents. |
| We need to get in early, whether it's through education, or prevention, or making sure we identify violent people early as well Jacqui Smith | We need to get in early, whether it's through education, or prevention, or making sure we identify violent people early as well Jacqui Smith |
| Ms Smith told the BBC Politics Show the government had begun to take a "very serious look" at what the evidence is about the relationship between price and alcohol. | Ms Smith told the BBC Politics Show the government had begun to take a "very serious look" at what the evidence is about the relationship between price and alcohol. |
| "There is not one single, simple solution to this, but we do need to look at the impact of price. There should be action taken about irresponsible promotions," she said. | "There is not one single, simple solution to this, but we do need to look at the impact of price. There should be action taken about irresponsible promotions," she said. |
| Ms Smith also said she was "serious" about tackling violence "if it occurs on our streets or if it occurs behind closed doors". | Ms Smith also said she was "serious" about tackling violence "if it occurs on our streets or if it occurs behind closed doors". |
| This, she said, included extending projects that go into schools and teach young people about the dangers of carrying knives. | This, she said, included extending projects that go into schools and teach young people about the dangers of carrying knives. |
| "We need to get in early, whether it's through education, or prevention, or making sure we identify violent people early as well," she said. | "We need to get in early, whether it's through education, or prevention, or making sure we identify violent people early as well," she said. |
| HAVE YOUR SAYSociety is just not sending out a strong enough message that criminals, all criminals, will be caught and punishedIan, PerthSend us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAYSociety is just not sending out a strong enough message that criminals, all criminals, will be caught and punishedIan, PerthSend us your comments |
| The BBC's political correspondent, Guto Harri, said that despite violent crime making up a low proportion of recorded offences, the government has recognised it is the cause of greatest concern among the public. | The BBC's political correspondent, Guto Harri, said that despite violent crime making up a low proportion of recorded offences, the government has recognised it is the cause of greatest concern among the public. |
| Police will also be urged to work more closely with other agencies such as social services and councils to spot people who may be likely to turn to crime. | Police will also be urged to work more closely with other agencies such as social services and councils to spot people who may be likely to turn to crime. |
| Ms Smith has also announced trials of a scheme allowing parents to check whether people with unsupervised contact with their children have paedophile convictions. | Ms Smith has also announced trials of a scheme allowing parents to check whether people with unsupervised contact with their children have paedophile convictions. |
| Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "I welcome any practical measure to curb the appalling rise of knife crime. | Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "I welcome any practical measure to curb the appalling rise of knife crime. |
| "But fatal stabbings have increased by over a quarter under Labour, and the government has utterly failed to take the kind of decisive - and sustained - action needed to clamp down on knife crime. | "But fatal stabbings have increased by over a quarter under Labour, and the government has utterly failed to take the kind of decisive - and sustained - action needed to clamp down on knife crime. |
| "A Conservative government will put police back on the street, take a zero-tolerance approach to crime and make officers accountable to the communities they serve, not the latest whim from Whitehall. | "A Conservative government will put police back on the street, take a zero-tolerance approach to crime and make officers accountable to the communities they serve, not the latest whim from Whitehall. |
| "We will reverse a decade of reckless policy - the mixed messages on drugs and 24 hour drinking - that has fuelled this rising tide of violence." | "We will reverse a decade of reckless policy - the mixed messages on drugs and 24 hour drinking - that has fuelled this rising tide of violence." |