What’s up in London? Murder rate surpassed NY

Do we know ethnic backgrounds and religions of perpetrators?

Do you think ‘societal change’ is their euphemism for an influx of Islamic or other types of people who seem more prone to violence, or do they mean something else by societal change.

It does look like police’s method of community involvement

These constant mentions of ‘societal changes’ and that other vague references to ‘London’s virus’ makes it seem people are trying not to say something.

It does look like police’s method of community involvement is an important piece of the solution.

"Societal changes" is a term used in..

What societal changes do they refer to?

Lash wrote:

These constant mentions of ‘societal changes’ and that other vague references to ‘London’s virus’ makes it seem people are trying not to say something.

It does look like police’s method of community involvement is an important piece of the solution.

"Soietal changes" is a term used in criminology. (For instance, it's taught at the German Police University (they have two full professors in the department of "Criminology and interdisciplinary crime prevention".)

Community involvement certainly shouldn't been neglected. But I do think, that "public health" is at least as important, if only because it works in Scotland.

I was hoping for an example of specific societal changes...

Sadiq Khan's London: Six Stabbings In 90 Minutes

Since Khan took office, crime has increased by 12%. In the months of February and March, for the first time in modern history, London surpassed the homicide rate of New York City. This was mostly contributed to a spike in knife attacks. Moreover, the city has seen "epidemic" levels of acid attacks, which are common in Muslim majority countries.

Seems to be connected with Indian girls who refused to go through with arranged marriages?

"The teenage years are associated with risky and problematic behaviours for everyone. But these behaviours are aggravated by poverty, inequality, school exclusions, mental illness and chaotic family circumstances. Rather than thinking of violence among young people solely as a crime problem, it should be considered a health risk, alongside drug use, smoking, drinking and unprotected sex.

Criminals convicted of carrying a knife spend half as much time behind bars in England and Wales than those convicted of the same offence in Scotland, where violence involving knives has fallen, analysis has revealed.

Research by The Sunday Telegraph also found almost half of repeat offenders in England are not given an immediate custodial sentence, despite a pledge to crack down on those found with a knife more than once.

A study by this newspaper compared the way knife crime is tackled in Scotland and in England and Wales after data revealed forces north of the border have successfully cut knife crime dramatically over the last ten years.

It revealed someone convicted of possession of a knife in England could expect around six months in prison on average last year, compared to a year and three months for those convicted in Scotland - more than double.

Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, has announced plans for a new law to crack down on knife, gun and acid crimes today - which could be brought in within weeks.

But experts have warned that the justice system currently allows too much flexibility when it comes to sending someone straight to prison for a second knife offence, as sources told this newspaper that there needs to be a broader conversation about whether prison is the right place for young men who arm themselves with knives out of fear.

Will Linden, the acting director of Scotland's Violence Reduction Unit, said much of the success north of the border is down to changing young people's attitudes towards carrying knives, coupled with getting tough on persistent offenders.

But he warned mandatory knife sentencing can do more harm than good if it ends up targeting young people on the fringes of gangs who carry knives to keep themselves safe who are then further indoctrinated when they are behind bars.

The unit, which was set up in 2005 to tackle notoriously high levels of knife violence in Glasgow, is credited with reducing it by taking a public health approach and making it the priority of the NHS, schools, police and youth workers.

"Fear and fashion were the motivators" for young people carrying knives in a lot of cases, he said, adding that many of them thought the problem "was more prolific than it really was" and chose to carry knives to protect themselves from the perceived threat.

Only a small number of knife carriers were actually gang members.

The unit used targeted advertising campaigns in cinemas and on the radio to explain the consequences of carrying knives but also to stop kids "thinking it was cool to carry weapons and stop them thinking their friends were carrying them".

The project found little evidence to suggest that scaring people stops them from carrying knives.

The team then targeted their resources on teenagers "who were really entrenched in criminal lifestyles".

"That required mentoring, one to one trauma treatment, giving them more hope and aspiration rather than just education - which works but not necessarily with those who are deeply, deeply involved because they are already aware that they could go to prison and they're not scared of it.

"They're not short of knowledge, what they are short of it hope, they're short of someone saying we can help you, to give them a new direction in life."

The Home Office has also launched an anti-knife poster campaign which will go out on social media, depicting young people under the caption "knife free".