A key part in My Plan to make our streets safe again is to combat knife crime and violent crime generally.
Tackling these threats to our safety is a big job with many challenges, but I am determined to face up to the task. This will include:
- Using stop and search. I will ensure that the police have the political support that they need to deploy stop and search and other tactics on the streets that are needed to crack down on the carrying and use of knives.
- Improve police officer training. It is crucial that police officers present evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service and in court in the correct format to ensure that a conviction is secured.
- Tackling county line and drug gangs. A large proportion of knife crime in our towns is linked to drug gangs and the trade in illegal drugs.
- Steering youngsters away from crime. It is a sad fact that children growing up in a certain demographic are more likely to take to crime than others. I will support schemes and programmes with a proven track record of success in steering teenagers away from crime.
- Lobbying government. I want to see consistency in sentencing and stiffer sentences for knife crime.
- Work with partners in the criminal justice system. I will work with the Crown Prosecution Service, judiciary and other partners to speed up justice and get cases to court quicker.
Photo shows: A knife arch deployed in central Leicester to catch those carrying bladed weapons.
