Supermarket chain ASDA is about to remove single kitchen knives from their stores in response to the growing number of knife crimes in London and the rest of the UK. There might come a time when you’ll need the help of solicitor firms just to work as a chef — but the ones perpetrating the actual crimes are treated with kid gloves.

Shocking Statistics

Close to 40,000 knife crimes terrorized the UK — most of them occurring in London. That’s more than 100 knife crimes every day! London reported almost 15,000 stabbings, and 1 in 5 victims of these stabbings were children. Children below 16 years of age are being stabbed on their way home from school, and the perpetrators will likely be of the same age. Fatal stabbing incidents rose to record highs. In fact, fatal stabbings are at its highest levels ever since the statistic started being recorded 70 years ago. People are dying on the streets, and there are not enough police officers to deal with the situation. Knives have been used in robberies, assaults, homicides, as well as rapes and sexual assaults.

Politically Correct Policies

London Mayor Sadiq Khan ordered a complete overhaul of the Metropolitan Police gangs database, citing racially disproportionate representations. Unfortunately, equity can’t be forced on people, especially the ones committing crimes. Groups that disproportionately commit crimes, compared to the rest of the population, will be disproportionately represented in prisons and specific crime and gang database. Scotland Yard argued that the database was useful in tracking criminal activity, noting that 96 percent of the 7,000 people that were listed have violated the law in some way and have been sanctioned by the courts. The previously effective Stop and Search protocols have also been reduced, led in part by British PM Theresa May, then serving as home secretary. Stop and Search was deemed to be a waste of time and unfairly targeted minorities, particularly black men. The drop in Stop and Search incidents led to growing confidence in young people to carry knives because they know they won’t be stopped.

Strict Government Response?

The government’s response to the rising number of knife crimes is to ban knives. Not go after the gangs perpetrating the crimes — go after the knives. Doctors have even blamed run-of-the-mill stores for fueling the crisis, blaming them for the access of young individuals to knives. London Mayor Sadiq Khan is known for his “unconventional” methods of dealing with crime. When a suspected Muslim terrorist ran down pedestrians and bikers outside parliament with a car, instead of focusing on radical Islam, the Mayor bans cars. When acid attacks swept through London, the Mayor forbids the sale of acid. Pretty soon, we might see hammers, wrenches, screwdrivers, and cricket bats added to that list.

Real problems need real solutions. Stricter enforcement of laws, more police visibility, and Stop and Search protocols can mitigate the issue, but politicians are too focused on appearing politically correct, suppressing free speech, and running after imaginary hate crimes.