Hitchcock heads national knife crime programme

ACPO lead on knife crime and deputy assistant commissioner of the Met Alf Hitchcock will head a National Knife Crime Programme to lead on delivering action against knife crime, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has announced.

DAC Hitchcock has been working with Home Office officials and other partners to develop a long-term response to the serious problem of knife crime. The National Knife Crime Programme will have access to a £2 million fund and has eight police force areas committed to it.

DAC Hitchcock commented on the “worrying change in the age profile of offenders and victims”. Knife crime is now more prevalent among the early-to-mid-teens, he said, whereas it used to be more concentrated amongst those in their twenties or late teens.

The number of knife crimes in London alone as been the subject of great concern so far this year, but DAC Hitchcock commented that “parents, neighbours, agencies, business and media” also need to be involved with making an effort to handle the problem of knife crime. “Tackling knife crime is not just a policing issue but one for society as a whole. Together we can do something to turn this tide back,” he said.

“ACPO is leading work across the police service nationally to tackle knife crime in those areas where it is a problem. It is very important that all of us who are working to tackle violence are clear about the scale of the problem,” he said in his acceptance of Jacqui Smith’s request for him to head the National Knife Crime Programme.

“ACPO has been at the forefront of a strengthened approach to enforcement and sentencing and has been working with the Crown Prosecution Service to draw up new guidance for all police forces. We will send out a strong message to those who carry knives for no good reason that they will face serious consequences.

“Knife crime causes massive grief and pain to both victims’ families and their communities and that is why we have a duty both to the public, and to the victims of these awful crimes, to take a tough approach to those who carry knives without good reason,” he said.