[Global Times Special Correspondent Chen Xin] According to the British "Guardian" report, British Prime Minister Starmer met with the country's well-known actor, rapper and activist Idris Elba, as well as police, government officials and charities on the 9th. Together with the ag

[Global Times Special Correspondent Chen Xin] According to the British "Guardian" report, British Prime Minister Starmer met with the country's well-known actor, rapper and activist Idris Elba on the 9th, as well as police, government officials and Together with the charity, a project has been launched to combat youth knife crime.

On September 9, 2024, local time, in London, England, British Prime Minister Starmer delivered a speech at a conference on knife crime held at 10 Downing Street. (Visual China)

According to reports, the official name of the project is the "Anti-Knife Crime Alliance", and its members include civil society groups, community leaders, young people and family members of those injured by knife crime. According to an announcement from the UK Home Office, the project will also involve technology companies, sports organizations, police, educators and service workers. Although there are currently no policy commitments related to the initiative, both the Home Office and the Prime Minister's Office hope to promote more action through this move. The Home Office announcement said the Coalition to Combat Knife Crime will find evidence and causes behind knife crime, particularly involving young people, in order to better inform government policy.

Before the project was launched, Elba had already started calling for restrictions on the use of knives in the UK. ABC previously reported that Elba launched a campaign called "Don't Hold Back Your Future" in January this year, calling on the government to step up efforts to combat knife crime in the UK. Elba said at the time: "In 2023, serious youth violence is on the rise across the country, which means hundreds of promising lives are lost because of an argument or the heat of the moment. Now, it is us as parents and our communities who It's time for politicians to act." The campaign is calling for an immediate ban on machetes and "zombie knives" and a cross-party "new coalition" to tackle the growing problem of knife crime.

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (bbc), "zombie knives" and machetes are defined as "weapons with blades longer than 20 centimeters, usually with serrated cutting edges." The British government has announced that it will ban the use of "zombie knives" and machetes from September 24. Owners must hand these knives to the police station between August 26 and September 23 and obtain compensation. The Guardian reported that Stephen Clayman, the British police chief responsible for knife crime, is also leading an investigation into online knife purchases, involving how knives are sold online to minors under the age of 18, and how to stop this. kind of transaction.

According to reports, more than 50,000 knife or other sharp weapon-related crimes were recorded in England and Wales between March 2022 and March 2023, a year-on-year increase of 4.7%. Starmer said: "As a prosecutor I witnessed the devastating impact knife crime had on young people and their families. This is a national crisis. We will rise to the challenge and reduce knife crime Half and take back our streets." Elba said: "We need to address the root causes of knife crime, not just the symptoms. The formation of the coalition is a positive step towards rebuilding our communities.”