Towards safer communities

A poll released this month by the Police Federation found that 30% of police officers had been threatened by a knife-wielding suspect while on duty. In London alone, there were 12,589 knife-related crimes last year. Truly frightening.

In recent times many people spanning a range of ages, of both genders, of various ethnic backgrounds and professions and who are geographically dispersed across the UK have been stabbed to death. More are in a critical condition, or are fighting for their lives.

One such is 26-year-old Ian Montgomery, stabbed in the back and chest as he tried to protect a young girl who was being beaten up outside a bar in Hockley, Nottingham. Then there’s Anne-Marie Cuffy, a young mum stabbed in the stomach after trying to stop a fight outside a nightclub in Purfleet, Essex.

On top of that, the number of overall offences involving firearms has been increasing each year since 1997. Crimes involving imitation weapons were up 55% in 2004-2005 compared to the previous year.

A number of police officers have already been shot this year – and, in one case, fatally wounded – while armed attacks on security staff collecting cash from banks and shops have risen by 12% since last year. Figures detail 226 Cash-and-Valuables-in-Transit robberies in the first quarter of 2006, compared with 201 attacks last year, of which a quarter involved guns and 170 resulted in injury.

In the event security sub-sector, meanwhile, the number of weapons found during crowd searches is also on the increase. One of the most extreme incidents occurred last January, resulting in the shooting of two stewards by an armed gang during a concert by award-winning rap star Kanye West at the NEC in Birmingham. One of the stewards was shot three times.

Police and security personnel could be forgiven for feeling deflated at the prospect of patrolling in such a hostile environment, but they are not alone... A number of initiatives are beginning to emerge, designed to reclaim the streets and rid them of weapons.

Nationwide knife amnesty

A nationwide knife amnesty began on 24 May and ran until 30 June. Police forces in England, Scotland and Wales were involved in the amnesty programme as part of a wide-ranging effort to reduce the number of illegal knives on the nation’s streets. It was the first major initiative since 1995, when regional amnesties took place following the murder of London-based head teacher Philip Lawrence.

Although it is probably too early to decide how successful this amnesty actually was in reality, following the 1995 amnesty no less than 40,000 potentially lethal weapons were handed in to police. A similar programme for firearms held three years ago saw 44,000 weapons voluntarily handed over. The focus of this latest initiative is on tackling an escalating knife culture among young people, an increasing number of whom admit to bringing knives into schools to boost their image or for ‘self-protection’. Boys aged 15 to 18 are the dominant group here.

Of the 839 murders in England and Wales in the 12 months ending on 28 November 2005 – the most recent period for which Home Office figures are available – 29% involved sharp instruments including knives, blades or swords

According to British Transport Police (BTP) chief constable (and SMT Editorial Advisory Board Member) Ian Johnston, who speaks on knife crime for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), the campaign “isn’t really aimed at the hardened gangster, who’s not going to be affected by the advertising, but at those people who could drift into knife crime, fall into it because of peer pressure or become involved due to some misguided emotion.”

In April 2006, under Johnston’s leadership, hand-held metal detectors and portable walk-through detection arches were introduced by the BTP to combat violence and robbery on the rail network. After an initial six-week pilot scheme in London, the model – known as ‘Operation Shield’ – has now been rolled-out to many other regions (including the West Midlands, the North West and the North East).

In the first two weeks of ‘Operation Shield’, 17 offensive weapons – including eight knives – were recovered. As well as the knives, knuckledusters, hammers, CS spray, sharpened screwdrivers and other weapons have been seized.

Since its inception, ‘Operation Shield’ has now scanned more than 10,000 people, leading to 107 arrests (48 of them weapons-related) and the recovery of 68 weapons.

Conflict is always possible

In the security business sector alone close to 500,000 individuals are exposed to potential conflict on a daily basis. Purely by the nature of the environments they are protecting – door supervisors at nightclubs, event security officers on duty at large-scale concerts, sporting or political events, security officers in shopping centres and airports and close protection professionals due to the nature of principal protection.

It is likely that all will experience a weapons-related incident at some point so, in the wake of extensive research, Skills for Security is now partnering PS5 Limited in offering a Basic Weapons Recognition Trainers Course. The course is being piloted this month, and has already attracted a number of delegates.

The course is aimed at Level 3 qualified trainers already teaching or delivering training to the Cash-and-Valuables-in-Transit, security guarding, door supervision, community warden, event stewarding and associated sub-sectors. It’s also highly relevant to other professions such as teaching, retail management and policing, providing trainers with a unique instructors’ manual, concealed weapons display box and student handbook under licence.

Steve Collins, chief executive of PS5, states: “The course is the first in a series of programmes designed to ensure that we develop a network of professional trainers who can promote awareness on the streets, and aid security personnel in the detection of prohibited and disguised weapons. In turn, this will augment the fight against weapons-related street crime and acts of terrorism.”

Naturally, at Skills for Security we fully support this view. We firmly believe it’s our duty to equip our sector trainers and their students with sufficient knowledge to recognise weapons concealment and to respond to any weapons-related incidents in a calm, professional and safe manner.