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knife crime, Cardiff, Knife Crimes, Violent Crimes. Is knife crime on the rise?

Cardiff: Is Knife Crime on the rise?

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In a recent violent incident in the centre of Cardiff – where 6 were hurt in disorder and stabbings – there are questions surrounding whether or not the rise in knife crime is to blame.

On Saturday, 6 individuals were taken to hospital after being violently attacked by a group of four people aged 16 and 17 – one sustaining head injuries and another three stabbed (non-life-threatening). The incident was dealt with quickly by South Wales Police who detained the four people who began the attack. However, they have urged parents who suspect their child was involved in the incident to come forward.

Dept Supt Esyr Jones Said “Tackling knife crime is the responsibility of us all and any parents who have suspicions about their children being involved are not protecting them by remaining quiet”

But has this incident highlighted the increase in Knife Crime and is there enough being done to prevent such an attack from happening again?

In 2010-11 there were 382 offences of Knife Crime and other violent behaviour in the area of Cardiff. In 2018-19 that number was 737, up from 621 the year before.

Compared to London, Manchester & Liverpool, Cardiff is relatively small in size and population and has a small number of knife-related crimes compared to them. However, in 2019 there were a number of knife-related incidents. In a 3-month period during the summer of 2019, three young men in and around Cardiff lost their lives. In June Fahad Nur died after being stabbed 21 times near Cathays Train Station. Asim Khan, 21 died after being stabbed in St Mary’s Street in July and Harry Bake who was 17, died from stab wounds last September.

And earlier this year in February 2020, South Wales police were issued a Section 60 that allowed police officers the powers to stop and search those who are suspected of holding a knife in the areas of Butetown, Grangetown and Riverside. This came after two men were stabbed 24 hours of each other – one incident in Riverside’s Seamon Street and another in Butetown’s Loudon Square.

In light of the recent crimes involving knives, individuals from local communities within Cardiff have set up charities to help support young people to stay away from knife crime. James Bourne who runs local self-defence classes (Kalah) regularly gets calls from his community asking to retrieve knives that have been found within homes and understands the devastating effects Knife Crime can have (with him being a close friend to the family of Asim Kahn). In an interview with Wales Online James was asked how the issue surrounding Knife Crime could be solved and said “The only way forward is harsher sentencing powers for those found committing knife crime, and greater police power to prevent it getting to that situation”

James added, “it’s not just teaching them, it’s showing them. I show my students videos of parents who have lost their sons”. You can read more here

Two years ago, South Wales Police launched Operation Sceptre, an in your face approach to tackling knife crime and the problems of serious violence and drugs that are associated with it.

Superintendent Wendy Gunney, Lead for Operation Sceptre said “Police forces across the country have recorded a rise in knife crime but mercifully the level of those offences in South Wales is not the same as in other parts of the UK, with knife crime remaining rare for the vast majority of communities here.

“But we can never be complacent. Every incident involving a knife has consequences for all those involved and so this is an issue we take extremely seriously.

“Under Operation Sceptre we have put in place a number of measures to address any concerns communities may have and clamp down on those who are carrying and using knives.

“We have invested in a number of measures to help tackle the issue.” – you can read more about Operation Sceptre here

You can read more about recent knife crimes in England and Wales in our blog here.

Sentences surrounding the carrying and the use of a knife range from six months custodial sentence and a maximum of 4 years. However, there are calls for harsher and tougher sentences to be issued to those carrying knives to help dissuade others from carrying them.

What should you do if you suspect someone is carrying a knife?

Knives are very easy to conceal on a person. Keeping yourself safe is vital and if you are confronted with the threat of violence, you should immediately walk away. Once you are safe, tell someone you can trust – a parent, teacher, lecturer, friend or the police.  It’s vital that you report anything you know about knife crime to the police on 101 or crime stoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. You can also report anything to do with knife crime 100% anonymously via fearless.

A&R Security Services can provide tailored professional security services for any business. For more information on how we can effectively protect your business contact us on 01656 713950 or here via our website 

Crime rate, Crimes, Unemployment, Cardiff, Pandemic, COVID-19, Business Security, A&R Security Services, Security Services, Manned guards, mobile Patrols

Is the rise in unemployment causing a rise in crimes?

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Since the COVID-19 landed on our shores, over 300,000 people in Wales have been on furlough up to the end of June 2020 – representing 28.9% of the Welsh workforce.

But despite the furlough scheme supporting employees and businesses and Wales slowly taking steps to return to normal, Wales and the UK’s economy is facing an economic downturn, with their already being high numbers of unemployment due to job cuts. Now with the government announcing that the furlough scheme will be ending in October 2020, the number of those becoming unemployed will increase further. Leading to one thing – high levels of crime.

Throughout history, there has been a correlation between large numbers of unemployment and increased levels of crime. In Cardiff County, statistics from South Wales Police show that between March and May (when lockdown was enforced) there has been a 50% increase in crimes – with Anti-social behaviour, Violent Crimes and Public order being the highest crimes reported.

Now with industries feeling the effects of the recent lockdown in Wales – there will be more and more people resorting to criminal activities such as theft and vandalism in an attempt to make quick money from stolen goods.

And for businesses who have been able to remain open and continue operating, this is bad news. So, it makes sense to invest in more robust security measures with a professional security provider that you can trust to protect your business.

Choosing the right security provider that can provide effective security to suit your needs

It may be easy to cut security measures to save money during these difficult times, but investing in more robust security measures can save you money and a lot of headaches in the long run. So, it’s important that your choose a security provider who can easily full fill your security needs.

For us, we understand that no two businesses are the same and can facilitate a business’ unique security needs and create bespoke security contracts that offer the best protection.

We understand that for some business’ it may be just key holding & alarm response services that they need for or for larger businesses, they may need 24-hour manned guards and/or mobile patrols services to provide suitable protection from criminals.

We can offer a range of bespoke services that can effectively protect your business. Including:

  • Keyholding & Alarm Response Services
  • Manned Guarding
  • Mobile Patrols
  • Concierge / Front of house Security
  • Construction Security

Whether your business holds large amounts of stock, operates 24 hours of the day – 7 days a week, covers a large area or is in a remote location, we can provide effective security services to ensure that your business is fully protected during these difficult times.

For more information about our security services visit our website or to arrange a no-obligation quote give us a call on 01656 713950.

Robbery, Armed Robbery, Violent Robbery, Robberies, Violent Robberies, Armed Robberies, Violent Crime, A&R Security Services

Violent robbery rise blamed on police cuts and rise in smartphone use

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In recent news, it’s been reported by the BBC that robberies are increasing at a faster rate in England and Wales than in any major developed country.

Within the last year, it’s been found that 269,000 young people were involved in or at risk of violent crime and that the use of smartphones and cuts to police patrols are behind the rise.

Between 2014 – 2018 robberies in England and Wales has increased by 33%, which researchers believed was significant because robbery acted as an entry point for violent crimes. With knife-related robberies increasing by 33%.

Violent crime recorded by police in England and Wales has risen by 19% in the last year – with the number of homicides (including murder and manslaughter) rising from 649 to 739 an increase of 14% since the end of September 2018. This is the highest total for crimes since 2007.

The report run by the BBC suggested that the availability of smartphones are connected to the increase of violent robberies with 8 in 10 people in the UK using them, higher than any country.

It also suggested that pressure on policing after budget cuts to officer posts between 2010 and 2018 was a contributor to the increase and pointed out that only 7% of robbery cases resulted in a suspect being charged compared to 21% four years ago.

Mr Redgrave from Crest Advisory said “ Criminals respond to incentives and if they feel they’re not being effectively policed – often these crimes are opportunistic – we’re likely to see an increase in these types of offences”

However, a spokesperson from the Home office suggested that changes in the way that robberies were logged are partly responsible for the rise in violent robberies.

“We are pleased with improvements in police recording, which have contributed to reported increases in robbery offences” they also added “ We are giving police the tools they need to keep families, communities and our country safe, including recruiting 20,000 new police officers and making it easier for them to use stope-and-search powers”

For more information about the report, robberies or violent crimes visit the BBC News website here.

A&R Security Services provide comprehensive security solutions in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, South Wales and South West. For a free quote call 01656 713950 or visit our website for further details of our security services.