New guidelines aimed at
toughening judicial responses to knife crimes introduced last year have
seen a doubling in the number of suspected knife criminals being held
in custody pending trial and an increase in the average sentence passed
for knife crime to 10 months.
Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini said the measures showed that knife criminals would be treated seriously in Scotland.
“Every year, far too many people are badly injured or killed by
knives in Scotland. We have a duty to contribute to the goal of
deterring knife offending. This initial analysis shows that the policy
introduced last year is doing just that.
“We have sent a clear message to those who still carry knives or use
knives to harm others. That message is simple: Carry or use a knife to
harm someone, and you risk going to straight to custody and staying
there for a long time,” she said.
Detective Chief Superintendent John Carnochan of the Violence
Reduction Unit said that while the long-term answers to reducing knife
crime lie in education and prevention, a strong enforcement policy is
also needed to prevent needless violence.
“This sends a clear message to those persistently carrying knives
that not only are you like more likely to be stopped and searched, but
you can be kept in custody and remanded in prison to await trial which
could take up to three months.
“We want people to stop and think before they put a knife in their
pocket. Three months is a long time for them, their family and friends.
While we appreciate that the long term answer to violence reduction is
in education and prevention, we are committed to reducing all types of
violence happening today. The current generation of knife carriers,
particularly young men who think it is ok to carry a knife, should be
aware of the repercussions under the new measures,” he said.
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