- Friday, February 28, 2025
Braverman emphasised that carrying weapons is a serious issue and puts both the individuals carrying them and those around them at risk.
By: India Weekly Staff
UK HOME Secretary Suella Braverman has expressed her “full support” for the increased use of stop and search powers by the police in order to tackle knife crime and prevent attacks in the country. This comes in response to three recent incidents of knife attacks in England, which resulted in the deaths of three individuals of Indian heritage.
Braverman’s statement follows the fatal stabbing of 27-year-old student Tejaswini Kontham from Hyderabad in north London, the fatal stabbing of British Indian teenager Grace O’Malley Kumar in Nottingham, and the stabbing death of 38-year-old Aravind Sivakumar from Kerala outside an apartment in south London. The suspects in all three cases are currently in custody and have been charged with murder.
Braverman emphasised that carrying weapons is a serious issue and puts both the individuals carrying them and those around them at risk. She stated that the police have her full support in utilizing stop and search powers, wherever necessary, to prevent violence and save lives.
The UK home office also released statistics indicating that last year, 99 young people lost their lives to knife crime in England and Wales, with 31 of the victims being black. The statistics highlight the disproportionate impact of violence and knife crime on black males. While acknowledging that black males are more likely to be stopped and searched, the government’s priority is prevention and public safety.
Braverman has written to the Chief Constables of all 43 police forces in England and Wales, expressing her backing for the “common sense policing tactic” of stop and search. She urged them to ensure that officers are prepared to use their full powers to proactively prevent violence. The letter also calls for the use of powers to arrest and investigate instances where someone unlawfully obstructs a stop and search, as well as the quick publication of body-worn footage by the police to prevent trial by social media.
The Home Office stated that over 100,000 weapons have been removed from the streets since 2019, with almost half of them seized through stop and searches, which have also resulted in over 220,000 arrests. Serious violence has reportedly decreased by 25% since 2019.
In order to strengthen trust between the police and local communities and address concerns about racial profiling, the government is implementing further safeguards on stop and search powers. They have introduced Serious Violence Reduction Orders, which allow the police to automatically search individuals previously convicted of knife and offensive weapon offenses. These orders have been piloted by four police forces across England and Wales for two years.
(With agency inputs)
