Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
‘City is safe place to live’: Top cop insists knife crime’s not an issue
‘I would like to assure people we take a very robust stance against all violent crime’
The city’s top policeman insists Canterbury is not plagued by knife crime – despite figures showing it is rising nationally.
Chief inspector Mitchell Fox says recorded offences in the district are no worse than for similar areas, assuring that the city remains a “safe place to live, work and socialise”.
His remarks follow concerns around the conviction of Canterbury Christ Church University student Gideon Wallace, who pulled a knife on bouncers out- side a city nightclub.
“When knife crime is reported it’s invariably big news, but the statistics behind the headlines are no higher for the Canterbury district than they are for anywhere else,” Mr Fox said.
“I would like to assure the people of Canterbury that we take a very robust stance against all types of violent crime, including those involving knives and other weapons, and we actively seek to prosecute offenders.
“Carrying a knife or weapon for protection is also illegal.
“In fact, by doing so people are potentially placing themselves in greater danger because the knife could be used against them by another individual.
“Canterbury remains a safe place to live, work and socialise.”
Wallace, a 19-year-old Londoner who lives in Sturry Road, was handed a six-month suspended sentence for possessing a knife and threatening door staff outside The Cuban in the High Street on January 21.
He had been thrown out for vomiting on the bar before producing the knife when he confronted doormen outside. They disarmed him and called police.
Wallace’s suspended sentence has been denounced by doormen as too lenient.
According to Kent Police, just three knife crimes were reported in central Canterbury for the first two months of this year.
But last week the Metropolitan Police reported that knife crime had risen 24% in the capital, while gun crime has soared 42%.
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed knife crime was up by 11% to more than 30,000 and gun crime had risen by 7% to more than 5,400 recorded incidents.
Met assistant commissioner Martin Hewitt said: “Young people carrying knives are doing so for a variety of reasons, including status, criminality and self-protection, but only around a quarter are affiliated with gangs.
“There is a phenomenon of people feeling that you need to carry a knife to be safe.
“There is a lot greater sense that ‘I need this to protect myself’. The problem comes when you then get a confrontation.”
Police say that anyone concerned about knife crime should call 101 or Kent Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.