South & Vale Greens have criticised Thames Valley Police’s new knife crime operation as an oversimplified and knee-jerk reaction that will do little to tackle a complex problem.
The new Operation Deter campaign, launched recently by Thames Valley’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber, promises that the police will make those carrying knives in our area “feel the consequences”.
Headline measures include increased ‘stop and search’; a tougher charge and remand approach in custody, and a push for tougher sentencing.
Cllr Sam Casey Rerhaye, South Oxfordshire District Councillor and member of the Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel said: “The Police cannot simply tackle crime by just ‘being tough’. All the evidence shows that increasing stop and search and bringing in tougher sentences has little effect on knife crime and instead further marginalises vulnerable young people.
“The most effective ways to tackle knife crime include investing in youth services, adolescent mental health and supporting vulnerable young people through targeted interventions in schools.”
Instead of draconian sentencing that swells the already bursting prison population and hardens young offenders, we need to see an approach that tackles the underlying causes of crime. This includes community-based policing based on trust, and investing in education and employment. Wider social policies are needed to reduce poverty, unemployment, exclusion from education, addiction to illegal drugs and being exploited by organised criminals that push people into crime. Further evidence suggests that measures to tackle knife crime need also to address the reasons why young people feel the need to carry weapons.
“Under this government cuts to local authority budgets have resulted in funding for youth services slashed by more than two thirds since 2010”, said Cllr Casey-Rerhaye. “Austerity has had a terrible impact on children and young people, and families are under increasing pressure. The answer is to invest in young people.”
While the initiative also mentions plans to work with parents and schools, and faster youth diversion work, the proposals ignore all of the multi-agency work already being done in our region. It is also highly doubtful whether 90 minute referrals to youth justice can be achieved considering the deep cuts to these services over the past decade.
In May 2022 the independent MacAlister review of children’s social care stated that, ‘Without a dramatic whole system reset’ children will continue to be exploited.
The Green Party has long called for investment in youth services and centres, to help turn at-risk children away from crime, challenge exploitation of young people and enhance rehabilitation services that have a track record of success.
Cllr Casey Rerhaye adds: “We have to listen to young people, and take their fears seriously. We must invest in good quality education and support services that help children understand risks and where to turn to for support when things start to go wrong. This takes effort and long-term commitment. What we see with Operation Deter is just headline grabbing, based on the discredited idea that increasing stop and search will tackle this complex problem. It will simply further erode trust between the police and the communities they are supposed to serve.”