‘Banning knives isn’t enough, secure detentions should be mandatory’ says Fed chair

9 February 2024

"Simply banning Zombie knives isn't enough, we need secure detention for juveniles," says the chair of West Midlands Police Federation Rich Cooke.

Rich’s comments follow the recent announcement that zombie-style knives and machetes will be banned under the new legislation, with the full ban coming into force in September.

After this time, anyone in possession of one of these knives may face time behind bars.

“There’s got to be a clear deterrent somewhere to prevent the carrying of these knives in the first place - and my fear is, the legislation doesn’t go far enough. Secure detention should be mandatory,” said Rich.

“We need prevention, enforcement and sentencing. Serious prevention, tough sentences and tough enforcement. That is the only way we will reduce this problem – by identifying potential offenders early, offering help, but also leaving them in no doubt there is a good chance of being detected and severe consequences to their actions if they continue down this line.”

The legislation is just one part of several measures being introduced by the Government to strengthen existing knife crime laws.

The Criminal Justice Bill will go further by increasing the maximum sentence for the possession of banned weapons from six months to two years, while anyone caught selling knives to under-18s, both in-person and online, could also face up to two years behind bars.

“These jail sentences are never mandatory, and that’s the issue,” continued Rich.

“It’s not just zombie knives that are part of the problem. There’s a whole host of dangerous weapons: swords, axes, cleavers and ‘hunting’ knives, all out there that are being used to seriously injure - and in some cases - murder people.

“Of course, knives are always going to be accessible, but what we are seeing is the various types specifically designed, adapted & carefully marketed in a thinly veiled way - attractive to younger criminal gang members.”

With so many dangerous weapons being decorated or advertised to attract youngsters, Rich is suggesting all knives should have plain packaging.

“What we’re seeing is these weapons are being embellished to attract youngsters. We need a strict plain packaging requirement and furthermore, a ban on online sales – so if people want a knife, they go to a shop.

“We appreciate certain machetes are used by those in the agricultural industry and that’s fine - so why don’t we have a strict legal definition and say that they must be presented plainly with no embellishment or marketing allowed? This would undoubtedly reduce the flow of weapons onto the streets making them less desirable in the first place – not a ‘fashion accessary’.”

And while Rich acknowledged that the legislation was a ‘step in the right direction’, he raised his concerns that members of the public are being ‘desensitised’ to incidents involving knife crime, due to the regular amount of offences.

He said: “Incidents involving knives are happening weekly, if not daily, and it needs to stop. What are we really doing to address this? What long-term solutions are in place?

“In all of this, I think the Government’s first priority should be to protect its citizens and I don’t believe they are doing enough. Until proportionate measures are in place, to reflect the loss of life caused, I’d argue they aren’t fulfilling their duty to protect innocent lives. Build the prisons and secure custody places for dangerous juveniles – because they simply aren’t there.”

As well as mandatory sentencing, Rich says there needs to be greater investment in the Force as a whole, so ‘the criminals can be picked up at every opportunity’.

“It’s not about just focusing on the hot spots or taking a silo approach to this. We need to start looking at knife crime holistically. Money needs to be invested so these criminals can be picked up at every opportunity, the earlier, the better” he added.

“At the moment, it feels like short-term initiatives focused on this or that aspect instead of long-term, wholistic solutions. Prevention, diversion, regulation, enforcement, and deterrence. These must be the indivisible pillars and no one thing can be ignored if we are to succeed.”

Following the legislation announcement Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “Knife crime continues to take precious lives away, and I am determined to put an end to this senseless violence.

“We must stop these dangerous knives ending up on our streets and in the hands of criminals. We cannot let them be sold to children, and we must give young people a way out of violence.

“That is why I have expedited the ban on zombie-style machetes.”

The latest figures revealed 5,188 knife or sharp instrument offences in the West Midlands, an increase of 16 per cent between March 2022 and March 2023. This was the second-highest recorded rise in numbers, behind the Metropolitan Force.