ǼȄɯǽȀg&g]cǽǻǼȄ .&.]]g JCʸ 15
orisJohnson’surgentreviewaroundsentencingfor
ģÿŲŃĪƣżǀƫżdzłĪŲģĪƣƫŏŲĜŧǀģŏŲŃǣżǀŲŃƠĪżƠŧĪÿŲģŤŲŏłĪ
crimehasalltheingredientsreminiscentofThatcher’s
get-tough-on-crimepoliciesoftheSeventies.Yet
again,weseethesameoldright-wingjust-dessertsrhetoricdusted
downinanexercisemoreakintowinvotesfora rumouredgeneral
electionthananyattemptatstemmingstreetviolence.LikeMargaret
¼ŊÿƸĜŊĪƣᡉƫƠƣżŰŏƫĪƸż ǿŃŊƸĜƣŏŰĪěǣ ŃŏǜŏŲŃǣżǀŲŃżdzłĪŲģĪƣƫÿ ᡆƫŊżƣƸ᠁
ƫŊÿƣƠƫŊżĜŤᡇ᠁dżŊŲƫżŲŊÿƫ ƠŧĪģŃĪģÿ ģĪƸĪƣŰŏŲÿƸŏżŲƸż ǿŃŊƸƣŏƫŏŲŃ
ŧĪǜĪŧƫżł ŤŲŏłĪĜƣŏŰĪÿŰŏģƸŊĪ ŏŰƠƣĪƫƫŏżŲżł ÿŲ ŏŲĜƣĪÿƫŏŲŃᡆĜǀŧƸǀƣĪżł
ŏŲƫżŧĪŲĜĪᡇÿŰżŲŃᡆƸŊǀŃƫᡇǝŊż ěĪŧŏĪǜĪģƸŊĪǣ ĜÿŲ ÿĜƸ ǝŏƸŊ ĜżŰƠŧĪƸĪ
ŏŰƠǀŲŏƸǣ᠇¼ŊĪ ÿŲƫǝĪƣ᠁ƸŊĪ ŲĪǝ £r ĜŧÿŏŰƫ᠁ŧŏĪƫ ŲżƸ ŏŲ ĜƣĪÿƸŏŲŃěĪƸƸĪƣ᠁
ŏŲĜŧǀƫŏǜĪĪŲǜŏƣżŲŰĪŲƸƫǝŏƸŊ żƠƠżƣƸǀŲŏƸǣ᠁ěǀƸ ŏŲ Ŋÿƣģ᠁ǭĪƣżᠵƸżŧĪƣÿŲĜĪ
policingandcustodialsentencing.
Asa working-classacademicwhoseresearchhascentredon
youngdisenfranchisedpeopleandgangcrimeandasa lifelong
residentofa formercouncilestateinKnowsley,Merseyside,one
ofthemostsociallyexcludedandpoverty-strickenareasintheUK
ÿŲģ ÿ ƠŧÿĜĪƫĪŧģżŰƣĪĜżŃŲŏƫĪģ᠁ŧĪƸ ÿŧżŲĪǜŏƫŏƸĪģ᠁ěǣ ÿŲǣ żł ƸŊĪ ¼żƣǣ
ŊŏĪƣÿƣĜŊǣ᠁SᡉǜĪ Ŋÿģ ƸŊĪ ǀŲŏƢǀĪżƠƠżƣƸǀŲŏƸǣƸż ƫĪĪ żǜĪƣ ěżƸŊ ƫŏģĪƫżł
ƸŊĪ ƠƣżǜĪƣěŏÿŧłĪŲĜĪ᠇
I haveingestedmostofthetheoriesandtherecentgovernment
ƣĪƠżƣƸƫÿěżǀƸǝŊǣ ǣżǀŲŃƠĪżƠŧĪƸǀƣŲ Ƹż ŃÿŲŃƫÿŲģ᠁ ŰżƣĪƣĪĜĪŲƸŧǣ᠁
knifecrime.I know,throughresearchandmoreimportantly
through 48 yearsoflongstandingpersonalexperience,thatplaces
ƫǀĜŊ ÿƫ fŲżǝƫŧĪǣǜĪƣǣ ƢǀŏĜŤŧǣěĪĜżŰĪŊżƸƫƠżƸƫłżƣ ǜŏżŧĪŲƸĜƣŏŰĪᠲ
ŲżƸ ěǣ ĜŊżŏĜĪ᠁ěǀƸ ěĪĜÿǀƫĪƸŊĪƣĪŏƫ ÿ ŧÿĜŤ żł ĜŊżŏĜĪ᠇
Interestingly, 90 percentofthoseyoungpeopleintheSeventies
whowererecipientsoftheharsh,andinmanycasesunnecessarily
ěƣǀƸÿŧ᠁ƫŊżƣƸƫŊÿƣƠƫŊżĜŤǝĪƣĪǀŲĪŰƠŧżǣĪģÿƸ ƸŊĪ ƸŏŰĪ żł ƸŊĪŏƣ
żdzłĪŲĜĪƫ᠇rÿŲǣłżǀŲģÿ ƫƸƣÿŲŃĪŤŏŲģ żł ƫżŧÿĜĪŏŲƫŏģĪ᠁ÿǝÿǣłƣżŰƸŊĪ
ŊĪÿǜŏŧǣŰÿƣŃŏŲÿŧŏƫĪģÿŲģ ěÿŲÿŧƠŧÿĜĪÿŲģ ƫƠÿĜĪƸŊĪǣ żĜĜǀƠŏĪģżŲ
theoutside.
¼ŊĪ ƣĪĜĪŲƸƠƣżƠżƫÿŧƫÿƣżǀŲģƫĪŲƸĪŲĜŏŲŃÿŲģ ŏŲĜƣĪÿƫĪģŲǀŰěĪƣżł
stopandsearchestotackleknifecrime,whilecounteringthepresent
ŲǀŰěĪƣżł ǣżǀŲŃƠĪżƠŧĪƠżƫƫĪƫƫŏŲŃŤŲŏǜĪƫ᠁ÿ ƫǣŰƠƸżŰżł ĜƣŏŰĪ᠁
doverylittletoaddressorevenunderstandtherootcausesofwhy
youngpeoplefeelitnecessarytocarryknivesorjoinknife-wielding
streetgangs.
Myresearchcarriedoutin 2015 involvedinterviewing 44 young
ƠĪżƠŧĪᠤÿŃĪģᙷᚄ Ƹż ᙸڑᠥ żŲ rĪƣƫĪǣƫŏģĪÿŲģ ĜżŲƫŏƫƸĪģżł ěżƸŊ ƸŊżƫĪ
ǝŊż ĜŊżƫĪƸż ěĪĜżŰĪŃÿŲŃŰĪŰěĪƣƫÿŲģ ƸŊżƫĪǝŊż ĜŊżƫĪƸż
ÿěƫƸÿŏŲ᠇ŧƸŊżǀŃŊƸŊĪƫĪǣżǀŲŃƠĪżƠŧĪǝĪƣĪłƣżŰĜżŰƠÿƣÿěŧĪ
ĪǢĜŧǀģĪģÿƣĪÿƫÿŲģ ƫŊÿƣĪģƫŏŰŏŧÿƣěÿĜŤŃƣżǀŲģƫ᠁S łżǀŲģĜƣǀĜŏÿŧ
ģŏdzłĪƣĪŲĜĪƫǝŊŏĜŊŰĪÿŲƸƫżŰĪǝĪƣĪÿƸ ŃƣĪÿƸĪƣƣŏƫŤ żł šżŏŲŏŲŃŃÿŲŃƫ᠇
¼ŊĪ ŰżƫƸƫŏŃŲŏǿĜÿŲƸǿŲģŏŲŃŏŲ ƸĪƣŰƫżł ƸŊżƫĪǣżǀŲŃƠĪżƠŧĪ
ǝŊż ģĪĜŏģĪģƸż šżŏŲ ŃÿŲŃƫÿŲģ ěĪĜżŰĪĪŰěƣżŏŧĪģŏŲ ǜŏżŧĪŲĜĪ
ǝÿƫ ģżŏŲŃƫż ěĪĜÿǀƫĪƸŊĪǣ ǜĪƣǣ ƣÿƣĪŧǣŊÿģ ÿ ĜŊÿŲĜĪƸż Ńż ěĪǣżŲģ
ƸŊĪŏƣ ŲĪŏŃŊěżǀƣŊżżģ᠁ǝŊŏĜŊŏŲ ÿŧŧ żł ƸŊĪ ĜÿƫĪƫǝÿƫ ĜǀƸ żdzł łƣżŰÿŲǣ
opportunitiestomakepositiveconnections.Thishadresultedin
ǜÿŧǀĪƫěĪĜżŰŏŲŃěżǀŲģÿƣżǀŲģƸŊĪ ģżŰŏŲÿŲƸÿĜƸŏǜŏƸǣżł šżŏŲŏŲŃ
deviantstreetgroupsandtheviolencethatforsome,cansoon
ěĪĜżŰĪÿ ǝÿǣ żł ŧŏłĪ᠇
SŲ ĜżŲƸƣÿƫƸ᠁ƸŊżƫĪǝŊż ƣĪŰÿŏŲĪģłƣĪĪ żł ƫƸƣĪĪƸŃÿŲŃŏŲǵŧǀĪŲĜĪ
ÿŲģ ĜƣŏŰŏŲÿŧŏŲǜżŧǜĪŰĪŲƸǝĪƣĪĪŏƸŊĪƣģŏǜĪƣƸĪģÿǝÿǣěǣ ƫƸƣĪĪƸᠵƫÿǜǜǣ
ƠÿƣĪŲƸƫżƣ᠁ ƸŊƣżǀŃŊƸŊĪŏƣ żǝŲ ǜżŧŏƸŏżŲ᠁ěĪŃÿŲƸż ěƣŏģŃĪěĪǣżŲģƸŊĪŏƣ
ƣĪƫŏģĪŲƸŏÿŧƫĪƸƸŏŲŃƸż ǿŲģ żƠƠżƣƸǀŲŏƸŏĪƫÿŲģ ŰÿŤĪŲĪǝ ƠƣżᠵƫżĜŏÿŧ
acquaintancesinotherareas.B
For far too long, the British
ƠǀěŧŏĜŊÿƫŊĪÿƣģƸŊĪƫÿŰĪżŧģ
łÿƣᠵƣŏŃŊƸƣĪÿŧŏƫŰĪŰěĪģģĪģǝŏƸŊŏŲ
diverted designed discourse
surrounding youth crime. It’s
ƸŊĪěÿģłÿŰŏŧǣżƣǣżǀŲŃƠĪżƠŧĪ
disengaged from education
or skills, when in fact it’s lack
of opportunities, non-existent
ƫżĜŏÿŧŰżěŏŧŏƸǣÿŲģŊŏŃŊŧĪǜĪŧƫżł
inequality that are the real causes
of what we’re seeing on our streets.
Add to this the recent cuts
in youth services, a product of
austerity that in the plain light
żłģÿǣÿdzłĪĜƸĪģƸŊĪłĪǝÿŲģŲżƸ
the many, certainly not those
in Westminster and you have a
ǜĪƣŏƸÿěŧĪĜÿǀŧģƣżŲżłłƣǀƫƸƣÿƸŏżŲ᠇
Speaking recently on the issue
of extremism, Britain’s most senior
ĜżǀŲƸĪƣᠵƸĪƣƣżƣŏƫŰżdzǿĜĪƣ᠁ƸŊĪ
assistant commissioner of
the Metropolitan Police Neil Basu,
was quick to highlight that 80 per
cent of those wishing to launch
attacks on UK cities were
ƣŏƸŏƫŊᠵěżƣŲżƣƣÿŏƫĪģ᠁ǝŊŏĜŊ
strongly indicated social issues
were among the root causes.
Calling for sociologists and
criminologists to take the lead
and help police, Commissioner
Basu claimed that social inclusion
was the key.Writing as one of those
criminologists happy to answer
his call, I support and echo Basu’s
żěƫĪƣǜÿƸŏżŲƫ᠁ƸŊÿƸĜƣĪÿƸŏżŲżł
greater inclusion and social
ŰżěŏŧŏƸǣĜÿŲŃżÿŧżŲŃǝÿǣƸż
reducing not only extremism
ěǀƸÿŧƫżŰŏŲģŧĪƫƫƫƸƣĪĪƸǜŏżŧĪŲĜĪ
involving young people. In one
hustings interview, Johnson was
ƢǀŏĜŤƸżƠżŏŲƸƸŊĪǿŲŃĪƣÿƸŤŲŏłĪ
ĜƣŏŰĪěĪŏŲŃƣżżƸĪģŏŲŃÿŲŃƫÿŲģ
ĜżǀŲƸǣŧŏŲĪƫ᠁ěǀƸǝŊÿƸŊĪÿŲģƠÿƫƸ
Tory prime ministers have steered
away from is discussing why gangs
and county lines have emerged in
ƸŊĪǿƣƫƸƠŧÿĜĪ᠇¼ŊĪǣģżƫżěĪĜÿǀƫĪ
young people have limited options
to develop true identities for
themselves.
Summing up the situation
ěĪƸƸĪƣƸŊÿŲÿŲǣƠżŧŏƸŏĜÿŧÿŲÿŧǣƫƸ
or social commentator, one of my
research participants involved in
gangs and violence commented:
ᡆSŊÿģŲżĜŊżŏĜĪ᠁ŏƸǝÿƫżŲŰǣ
doorstep all around me... There
was nothing else.”'ƣ¦żěĪƣƸNĪƫŤĪƸŊŊÿƫ
ƸÿǀŃŊƸĜƣŏŰŏŲżŧżŃǣÿŲģ
łżƣĪŲƫŏĜƠƫǣĜŊżŧżŃǣÿƸƸŊĪ
ÃŲŏǜĪƣƫŏƸǣżł ŊĪƫƸĪƣ᠁/ģŃĪNŏŧŧ
ÃŲŏǜĪƣƫŏƸǣÿŲģhŏǜĪƣƠżżŧdżŊŲ
rżżƣĪƫÃŲŏǜĪƣƫŏƸǣ¼ŊĪƫŊÿƣƠĪŲģ
The Knife Angel statue
is made up of 100,
surrendered bladesA short, sharp shock? Only the hope
of a better life will end knife crime
DRROBERTHESKETH
opinion.
Photo:
Martin Berry / Alamy Stock Photo