LONDON—Official figures released in February show that fatal stabbings in England and Wales in the past year were at 285, the highest since records began in 1946.
While social media, drugs, and lack of police have taken part of the blame, a former gang member says the root of the violence often stems from the breakdown of the family.
At least 40 people have had their lives cut short by a blade in 2019.
Giving evidence at a serious crime commitee meeting in Parliament this week, the UK’s police chief said knife injuries had gone down in London by 15 percent. But she said the levels are still too high.
Knife crime over the last couple of years have been at “the highest, and most worrying levels” since she’s been in service, London’s Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said.
“It’s deeply worrying. A horrible set of offences, and definitely more younger people involved, more knives involved in the serious violence on the streets,” she said.
A 15-year-old boy was stabbed in the chest after school on Monday in southeast London. He was taken to hospital in critical condition.
‘Bigger Issue Than Social Media’
Last year, police singled out so-called “drill rap” videos as a catalyst for Britain’s street violence.
Several murders have been linked to the genre, in which gang members taunt their rivals in online videos.
“You’ll find most trap and drill artists, are actual gang members. They’re not recording artists, so what happens is, young people think they’re listening to a recording artist, what they are actually listening to is a very talented gang member, who can rap really well,” said Sheldon Thomas, a former gang member who now helps others who are involved in gang culture.
“If they [young people] listen to the lyrics, they are actually telling you to go and stab somebody… If you took the time to listen to that, you’ll realise something ain’t quite right here, because you can’t be telling people to commit crimes.”
He says the majority of drill rap videos promote a gangster lifestyle, but the root causes go beyond the music. One of the biggest problems, he said, is children feeling a sense of abandonment.
“If there’s abandonment and rejection, that hurts, and so they’re going to create this mythological world they’re in, around, I don’t care if I’ve got no dad, and so you get all of that, and we need to look at that as a society that that’s a problem.”
“How are we going to get a society, that has almost said it’s ok, for women to raise children on their own, to understanding you need both parents involved in this.”
He said changes needs to start with those who understand gang mentality.
“The government are at the head of it, but are not the heart of it,” he said.
Ministers, experts, and community members will head to Downing Street on Monday, when the Prime Minister hosts a knife crime summit.