The Use of an Uncompromising Nation to Reduce Knife Crime Rates in the UK
Keywords:
Knife Crime, SPAC Nation, knife crime statistics, death, young people, gang crime, offence counts
Abstract:
This article includes facts and statistics that illustrate the reduction in morbidity and mortality related to knife crime after community centric churches such as SPAC Nation increased their engagement and involvement in the lives of young people and governmental parties. Sources like the Evening Standard, The Met Police report and the SPAC Nation Data and Statistics: Youth Violence Report, speak about the various knife crime offence rates and how they have been significantlydecreased by community endeavours.
Findings from the Evening Standard report show that ‘the main reason for the rise was a surge in knife-point robberies which were up by nearly a third, at 7,389, over the 12 months to the end of March, and up 31 per cent on the total of 5,627 the previous year’. The Met Police reports 58,193 knife crime offences, across London from January 2019 - June 2023. Parallel data from ‘SPAC Nation Data and Statistics: Youth Violence Report’ details the number of prohibited items collected from 2019, having been an initiative within the organisation since 2014. Studies show that 63 knives were surrendered to SPAC Nation as well as depicting two main case studies - Igis and Demar - whose storiesillustrate that although individuals grew up in deprived backgrounds, once they encountered the SPAC Nation Church, the trajectory of their lives changed positively. For example, Demar started using his passion for writing to introduce his friends to the movement that changed his life.
Main body:
A recent report from the Evening Standard Newsletter published on 21st July 2023 by Martin Bentham, shows that knife crime rates in London have gone up by 16% within a year. With this saddening news, it places emphasis on finding a solution to thwart this increase and reduce the number of knife crime victims. The main cause of the increase in knife crime offences stems from an increase in knife point robberies by almost ⅓. Other offences such as knife point rape or sexual assaults rose from 189 in the previous months to 220, whilst threats to kill with a blade increased to 1,015 from 949. Those findings suggest that there is not much control being set from people in higher authorities such as the Met or the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, although they believe the police will help reinforce this control. In addition to this, London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan brought attention to the notion that the cost of living crisis will only push more people into poverty and leave younger people in a position where they can be more easily influenced into partaking in knife crime offences.
Nonetheless, community centric churches like the SPAC Nation Church have made decreasing knife crime rates a priority. They do this by engaging first hand in the community, utilising methods such as Safe Houses. The foundations of a Safe House stems from Pastor Tobi Adegboyega, deciding to help young people with violent backgrounds. A prime example of this is Pastor Samuel Akokhia, who came under the mentorship of Pastor Tobi Adegboyega at the age of 19 after completing a 3 year prison sentence. As quoted in the report, “real-life mentorship plays a major role in reducing crime and showing others a way out of their current situations.” Currently in 2023, there are many ‘SPAC Nation-encouraged Safe Houses’ spread across 15 London boroughs and 5 national cities that help to develop and inspire young people. To do this there are 400 leaders that operate across the UK and Ireland to ensure that lives are progressively changing. They create viable alternatives for young people who are already involved in knife crime.
SPAC Nation’s focus has always been to help young people, as well as support the police, found enterprises that can give back to the community and create educational opportunities. As a result, the community centric Church had effective results within the area of knife crime offence as they received 63 knives surrendered to them and 44 knives and prohibited substances surrendered, all in the 2019. These surrendered items help organisations like the City of London by submitting them to be disposed of. Two key examples of how the SPAC Nation church positively impacts the lives of young people, are Igis and Demar. Both of them come from gang related backgrounds but experienced life changing moments such as Pastor Tobi paying off Igis’ supplier and Demar encountering a Safe House in North London and with their support he was able to change schools, Barnet’s mainstream schools.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, whilst the government tried to tackle the rising number of knife crime offences between the years 2019 - 2023, we see the growing impact of the SPAC Nation Church in London, as it works as a catalyst of change within the lives of young people and their families. Having reduced the number of knife crime offences, Police departments like the City of London Police can focus its efforts and resources to help more people, and many young people have been saved from going to prison.
References:
Bentham, M. (2023) Knife crime in London surges 16% in just a year, Evening Standard. Available at: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/knife-crime-london-surges-one-year-stabbing-khan-b1095672.html (Accessed: 23 July 2023).
Metropolitan Police Service (no date) Public.tableau.com. Available at: https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/metropolitan.police.service/viz/MonthlyCrimeDataNewCats/Coversheet (Accessed: 23 July 2023).
‘SPAC NATION DATA AND STATISTICS: YOUTH VIOLENCE Young people and prohibited items - Jan-Oct 2019’ (2019).
Comments