Originally published August 18 2015
Crimes involving knives rises after British nanny state bans citizens from carrying sharp knives
by J. D. Heyes
(NaturalNews) For Americans who think that their own government has become overly intrusive (and it has), at least for now Uncle Sam has yet to criminalize self-defense or, more specifically, the tools we use to protect our families and ourselves.
That's not the case in Great Britain where even simple self-defense tools like small knives have been outlawed.
This may be news to a progressive, but realists understand that when governments take away citizens' rights to protect themselves, such actions tend to empower the criminal element.
Case in point: As reported by The New American, since the government's ban on knives and other sharp instruments for self-defense, crimes involving the use of knives as weapons have skyrocketed.
In fact the news site reported, citing stats gathered by the BBC, British police have recorded nearly 27,000 offenses in 2014 and 2015, up from fewer than 26,000 the previous year. In total, offenses for possessing a knife rose by 10 percent, while sexual assaults in which the assailant used a knife climbed 28 percent. Knife-related assaults in general increased 13 percent.
So it seems that, in Britain, when knives were outlawed, only outlaws possessed knives. And outlaws, we all know, don't play by civil society's rules.
Fewer knives equal more crime
But rather than correct this egregious policy error, British lawmakers and public officials are doubling down on stupid. In response to the uptick in knife-related violence and crime, they have not rescinded the knife ban but rather have imposed stiffer punishments for the knife-wielding, as if a greater threat of incarceration (which you have to assume would occur under previous violations of knife ban policy if the crime were violent enough) will now reverse the upward trend of knife-related violence.
The rise in knife crimes come after mandated reductions in the number of so-called stop and frisk policing, where officers stop and search people they suspect could be violating the law.
As reported by the International Business Times, Britain's top cop, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe says he is considering increasing stop-and-frisk again in response to the spike in knife-related crime.
"Over the last three years we have listened to feedback from the public about too much ineffective stop and search. We have worked to make it more targeted and have seen a broad reduction in violence, shootings and stabbings," he said.
"But over the last three months there has been a rise in stabbings and that has caused us to review our position on stop and search. We were doing too much; repeatedly stopping people who have done nothing wrong can't be right," Hogan-Howe added. "But if we are getting to the stage where people think they can carry knives with impunity, that can't be good for anyone."
Predictable results
The British experiment in reducing stop and frisk is having the same effect as ending the practice is having in New York City - higher crime. As reported by the New York Daily News:
A dramatic drop in stop-and-frisk encounters has emboldened criminals and made cops more reluctant to take proactive police action, even as murders and shootings are on the rise in the city.
The frightening message - echoed by police supervisors and union leaders - comes as stop-and-frisk encounters are on pace to plunge by 42 percent this year, with 20,000 fewer street stops.
Upon taking office, avowed socialist Mayor Bill DeBlasio ordered stop-and-frisks reduced - a campaign promise - but now that crime is up, the mayor is silent on the issue.
The results of Britain's and New York City's experimentation with lax law enforcement and weapons bans is nothing new.
As noted by The New American, citing data regarding the effect of outlawing handguns on the homicide rate in England from the Crime Prevention Research Center, every locality that has enacted such a policy has seen murder rates rise.
"You cannot point to one place where murder rates have fallen, whether it's Chicago or D.C. or even island nations such as England, Jamaica or Ireland," TNA reported.
Sources:
http://www.thenewamerican.com
www.gov.uk
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk
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