LONDON (dpa-AFX) - The UK Government has launched a new coalition to tackle knife crime and stop young people being dragged into violent gangs.
Joined by anti-knife crime campaigner and co-founder of the Elba Hope Foundation Idris Elba, the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime will bring together campaign groups, families of people who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime, young people who have been impacted, and community leaders.
The coalition will also include technology companies, sport organisations as well as partners in the health service, education, and the police.
It will work with experts to develop an extensive understanding of what causes young people to be dragged into violence, providing vital evidence that will drive government policy and holding the government to account on its knife crime commitments.
Ahead of its launch, Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with the Home Secretary, Idris Elba and campaign groups at the first annual Knife Crime Summit at Downing Street.
He said, 'As Director of Public Prosecutions, I saw first-hand the devastating impact that knife crime has on young people and their families. This is a national crisis that we will tackle head on.'
A legislation is underway in the UK to ban ninja swords.
The government will also strengthen the laws around the online sales of knives, making sure the rules in place to stop dangerous weapons ending up in the hands of young people are enforced.
Commander Stephen Clayman, the National Policing lead for knife crime, has been tasked with leading a rapid review to understand how these weapons are sold online and delivered to teenagers, identifying gaps in legislation, and the most effective ways to stop this. He will report back to the Home Secretary by the end of the year.
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