Knife crime death toll mounts
SPECIAL REPORT INTO DEADLY SCOURGE AFTER THIRD STAB KILLING OF SUMMER CONFIRMED:
THREE young men from Cardiff have been killed this summer — and in the last week there have been three cases of attacks involving knives.
A 17-year-old boy found dead in docklands died from multiple stab wounds.
Harry Baker is the third young person from Cardiff stabbed to death this summer, as concerns grow about the danger of knife crime in the city.
A fourth man is in a serious condition in hospital after an alleged assault in the Tremorfa area of the city on Saturday night.
It is understood he was stabbed. And a fifth man was also taken to hospital on Thursday night, after an incident in Cathays.
In June, Fahad Mohamed Nur, 18, died after being stabbed 21 times near Cathays train station.
And Asim Khan, 21, died after being stabbed on St Mary Street in July.
South Wales Police say they “wholeheartedly” share the concerns of the public over recent events and are committed to Operation Sceptre, which targets those involved in knife crime and serious violence.
Last month, the dedicated crime team in Cardiff was expanded and a further unit created in Swansea to deal with the problem.
Chief Constable Matt Jukes described the issues faced in the two cities as “significant”.
And Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures show that serious offences involving a knife or sharp object have doubled in the South Wales Police force area since 2010.
In 2010-11, there were 382 such offences in the area. In 2018-19, that number was 737, up from 621 the year before.
Surgeons in Wales say they are seeing “significant woundings” on a weekly basis.
Harry’s body was discovered at a container unit in Barry docks on Wednesday morning.
His heartbroken family paid an emotional tribute to their “beautiful son”, saying: “Harry is a fun loving son and brother where family time was always precious – making memories on holidays, snowmobiling in Lapland, parasailing and riding the biggest and scariest rollercoasters in America.”
Five people have been arrested in connection with his death on suspicion of murder.
Three people have been charged with the murder of Mr Nur, whose family were informed of his death by a police officer who arrived at the door of their house early one Sunday morning.
And one man has been remanded in custody charged with the murder of Mr Khan after police were called to St Mary Street at 4.50am on a Sunday in July.
Superintendent Wendy Gunney, South Wales Police’s lead for tackling knife crime, said: “Knife crime has risen across the country, and we are not an exception to that.
“Under Operation Sceptre, we have put in place a number of measures to address any concerns communities may have and clamp down on those who are carrying and using knives.
“This is not a one-size-fits-all tactic, but something that ensures each area takes a specific, targeted and intelligence-led approach to tackling and
responding to the needs of their respective communities. You may see police officers and PCSOs out and about, at schools and community hubs, to reinforce the law and to emphasise that knife crime and carrying knives will not be tolerated.
“We have to be on the front foot in terms of law enforcement but we cannot do this alone. We continually work with partner organisations such as health and education authorities to tackle these issues, and partnership operations with local authorities and Trading Standards departments are carried out to ensure that legislation is being adhered to in respect of the sale of knives to under-18s.
“Knife crime remains rare for the vast majority of communities in South Wales but this does not mean we are complacent.”
She asked that the impact of county lines drugs gangs was challenging forces around the country.
She said: “Most communities, most of the time, will not be touched directly by knife crime. Mercifully, this is not a crime at levels seen by major cities, but we need to be constantly determined to push back at those individuals and groups that use weapons to support their criminality, especially where the most vulnerable are put at risk as a result. We need to understand why young people would make the terrible choice to carry a knife, and feel that it is normal and acceptable to do so – because there is no justification, anywhere, least of all in most of our towns and cities.
“The increased impact of county lines is a current challenge for forces including ours, specifically the increased levels of violence, possession of weapons and the exploitation of children and vulnerable adults associated with this form of criminality.”
Concerned resident Matthew Reed had organised a Cardiff vigil similar to ones that have been held in London before the latest wave of knife crime in the city.
It is being held on the steps of the National Museum of Wales in Cathays Park on Monday between 7pm and 10pm, with talks from positive speakers and people who have been affected by knife crime.
He said: “I had been thinking about having one for some time because of the problem of knife crime in the city.
“The event on Monday was already planned before the latest incidents happened, so now it is even more important. For everyone that actually gives a cares about the youth of today, your kids are in danger of becoming another statistic. We don’t need tags on toes, we need to put the knives down, wake up and understand the situation we now see ourselves living in
“We have lost young youths to knife crime and with the help of some we want to spread the message to help make a positive change.
“I’ve never seen Cardiff so bad at the moment in my life. When I was a kid we put our fists up, now it seems you put your knives up. We need to put them down.”
When asked about some of the reasons behind the problem, Matthew said: “I think there is a big problem of people suffering from a lack of father figures.
“There are very few youths clubs that remain open and that means there is a lack of mentors.
“When I was growing up we would go down to the youth club and there would be people who would look out for you and pull you up when you were doing something wrong. A lot of that has been lost.
“There is also the issue of the music that a lot of young people are listening to. There is a genre of music that has come from the drug houses of Atlanta in America that has transferred over to the UK.
“There is a lot of talk about drugs and making money in the lyrics, people in balaclavas advocating murder and it seems to be having a lot of influence on young people.”
Cardiff councillor Lee Bridgeman said he was going to ask for a task group to be set up in Cardiff involving youth services, politicians, police and local communities to be set up.
He said on social media: “I’ve been a youth worker all my working life in Cardiff, I have seen many ups and downs. Many success stories and not so successful.
“This week we have seen three stabbings and one fatality, these are worrying times for the young people and their families living in our city. We need to act now. I will do all I can to influence and support the young people and their families in Cardiff. Enough is enough, something needs to be done.”
Knife crime expert Dr Erin SandersMcDonagh warns that there are lots of different reasons for knife crime, but said that the whole of the UK was in a “state of crisis” because of austerity over recent years. She said: “Education and social services have been affected leaving a gap wide open for many young people.
“Austerity doesn’t affect places with rolling hills and countryside, it is found in already poverty hit areas where it hits the hardest. Young people are the victims and it has been found that criminalising them doesn’t work.”
Dr Sanders-McDonagh highlighted a ground-breaking approach being employed in Scotland where the problem is being treated as a public health issue that has been working.
Scotland’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) was set up to stem the tide of knife crime which saw Glasgow become Europe’s murder capital.
From its formation in 2005, the VRU proposed a fresh approach to tackling the problem.
Its key message was that gangrelated stabbings and slashings were not just a policing issue but a public health issue.
The unit’s motto was a simple one: “Violence is preventable, not inevitable.”
In 2004/05 137 homicides (which include murder and culpable homicide figures) in Scotland – in Glasgow, there were 40 cases alone, double the national rate.
By 2016/17 the number had more than halved to 62.
Last year this had reduced by a further three to 59.
Dr Sanders-McDonagh added: “This model works because it is more about engaging young people rather than targeting them.
“Locking up 14-year-olds and giving them long sentences has proved not to work. We need to look other ways of dealing with the issues and working on services that help get young people engaged and involved.
“Most of these young people want to get out but there are no opportunities for them to do so. We need to find a different approach.”
Police are appealing for people to contact local police and community support officers know if they have suspicions that someone is carrying a knife, or alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A spokesman for South Wales Police said: “Every death is tragic and affects not only the victim’s family and friends but also the wider community.
“The priority of South Wales Police in such incidents is ensuring perpetrators are apprehended quickly and justice is served for bereaved or affected families. This in turn also helps to ensure the long-term protection of the wider public.
“We are absolutely determined to keep Cardiff one of the safest cities in the UK in which to live, work and socialise.”