WEAPONS OFFENSIVE

Vigorous Policing And Research Required

Another piece in the interlocking issues affecting juvenile crime in
Scotland has been provided by the latest research into knife-carrying and
drug-taking. This follows on from a body of American research which showed
an association between violence and the use of illegal drugs.

There will be those who will react sniffily to the latest research from
Glasgow University and insist that it was only to be expected anyway.

But chasing down all the issues and providing evidence as a replacement for
mere supposition is the way to clarify matters as well as providing
insights which can help prevention. The statistics from the Glasgow
research are deeply disturbing, for although they show an expected level of
knife-carrying in urban areas of Lanarkshire, they also illustrate
knife-carrying (although at a lower level) in rural areas as well. As this
is also linked to drug use it ties in with what we already know of the
determination of drugs-pushers to target rural Scotland.

Those in charge of the research admit that it is far from clear why such a
substantial proportion of young people in Scotland, both boys and girls,
feels the need to carry a weapon. They are right to suggest that this
requires further research for, as we have already said, anecdotal evidence
and loose assumptions are not good enough as a basis for formulating a
response.

So, in the light of current knowledge, what should the response be for the
moment?

Another body of evidence lies in the experience of Strathclyde police who
have conducted various campaigns against knife-carrying. After several
years of high-profile operations which involved, for the most part, a
vigorous policy of intervention and stop-and-search (not all of which
proved popular with civil-liberties guardians) the incidence of
knife-carrying dropped.

When the policies were relaxed the incidence increased once more. A year
ago the force reconstituted their clampdown, proving once again that stop-
and-search is a highly effective way to combat knife- carriers. Although as
keen on protecting the rights of citizens as anyone, we have sympathy with
energetic policing on this issue.

People who carry knives do so because they feel they may use them (for
whatever reason). When drugs and knives are added to alcohol and knives and
just plain badness and knives, the risks are unacceptable. More research is
needed, accompanied by vigorous policing.