Fears over Coleraine knife crime
MORE people in Coleraine are carrying knives, new figures show.
Forty-six people were caught carrying knives in the Coleraine policing district in the last year, compared to 38 the year before.
Councillor John Dallat, chair of Coleraine District Policing Partnership, last night said he fully supported a new police campaign to crack down on knife crime.
He told the Times: "It is highly regrettable that as guns have been disappearing they are being replaced by knives which are just as lethal when used in situations involving violence.
"Young people need to understand that when a knife is carried there is no guarantee that it won't be used to kill. In those circumstances the carrier will be facing a long period in jail and will have to live for the rest of their lives with the knowledge that they have taken the life of another person."
Councillor Dallat pointed out that in the same period, figures for Limavady showed a shocking rise from 14 to 45.
He said: "The figures for Coleraine and Limavady are very serious and means that this crime has to be a priority for District Policing Partnerships in both boroughs."
Police have now re-launched their knife awareness advertising campaign across Northern Ireland in an effort to highlight the consequences and dangers of carrying a knife.
From 2007 to 2008, figures showed that 1062 knife related crimes were reported to police compared with 968 incidents the previous year.
Assistant Chief Constable Duncan McCausland said: "Our message is clear – never carry a knife - knives take lives.
"Those caught carrying a knife for unlawful reasons will be prosecuted. However, as part of this campaign we want to prevent people from carrying knives in the first place rather than having to enforce the law when the situation arises.
"Knife crime is unacceptable and has left too many families devastated in Northern Ireland.
"These measures will help tackle the problem in Northern Ireland and I call on everyone to give the campaign their full support, particularly parents as they have a key part to play in informing their children about the dangers of carrying knives and the devastation knife crime can bring".
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Weather for Coleraine
Saturday 04 February 2012
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Heavy rain
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