Change is vital in knife crime fight
■ TO tackle the knife crime epidemic, the Government must end austerity, put more police on the streets, educate children, not expel them just to meet school targets, and reopen a youth club on every estate.
It also needs to allow parents to discipline their kids without the unreasonable scrutiny of social services. And clamp down on racism and homophobia by educating children about diversity in early years education, and reduce poverty for working families so they can have a proper work/life balance.
It is no coincidence violent crime has soared when the Government panders to the elderly and neglects the needs of our young people. The fatalities are a symptom of neglect. Karen Wright, Northampton
■ Just throwing more people in prison won’t solve anything. There’s little evidence that the threat of prison sentences deters criminals. Norway has maximum security prisons, without barred windows or security cameras, that focus on rehabilitation. It has some of the lowest reoffending rates in the world. I’m not suggesting people committing serious crimes should be treated leniently, but low-risk offenders should be diverted to community-based rehab programmes which would reduce prison overcrowding.
D Kendrick Ashby-de-la-Zouch Leics
■ The gangs and individuals committing these crimes are victims of neglect, poverty and a lack of opportunity which are prevalent in areas suffering from an increase in violent crime.
Zero hours contract jobs are not the answer; stable skilled and semiskilled jobs are required. The Government should stop making the poor poorer and adopt a more positive approach to tackling poverty.
It must also examine its approach to drug addiction.
Terry Marriott, Waterlooville, Hants
■ Core policing has been neglected since the Home Office set targets which directed focus away from areas of need at a time when drug-fuelled crime has been rising.
Obviously, police funding needs a substantial increase, but it won’t have the required effect unless the Government eases its pressure on the CPS and judges to cut sentences. John Shale, Wigan, Gtr Manchester
■ I’m sick of hearing poverty being blamed as the cause of knife crime. I doubt those doing the killing are wearing rags and eating gruel. The latest Nike and Adidas more like.
And even if they are living in poverty, does that justify their crimes? The sooner irresponsible community leaders stop blaming everyone but the killers, and middle class do-gooders stop walking on eggshells, the sooner things might be solved.
Stefan Badham, Portsmouth
■By providing more help in the community and treating knife crime as a public health epidemic, Glasgow has drastically reduced knife crime (Mirror, November 10). Once the murder capital of Europe, its approach of fixing community standards has helped massively. This needs to happen nationwide. Colin Davies, Liverpool