Enfield says Government must act now on knife legislation

Enfield Council’s Community Safety Chief has called for mandatory jail sentences for anyone caught in possession of knives after a fatal stabbing in Edmonton yesterday.

Councillor Ertan Hurer, cabinet member for community safety, said: “It is essential the government acts swiftly and strongly on knife crime.

“This is a national problem and there needs to be a national solution. The government must introduce mandatory jail sentences without further delay.

“Only until youths realise they will face life behind bars for a long period will they finally understand how much they have to lose.”

And Cllr Hurer said the government must ensure the courts toughen up on bail conditions.

He said: “Lack of prison spaces should not dictate the sentences that the courts hand out and set seemingly lax bail conditions.”

Enfield Council initially called for mandatory sentences last week following the murder of Henry Bolombi, in Edmonton on New Year’s Day.

Cllr Hurer said: “Enfield Council takes violent crime extremely seriously. It is plainly not acceptable to have anyone murdered on our streets.

“We support the police in their efforts to catch the perpetrators and the commitment to reduce violent crime in our borough is a shared one.

“The crucial point is that they need the support of the courts and the Crown Prosecution Service in effectively tackling violent crime in London.”

This document was last updated on 2008-01-23 11:36:38 published by the Communications team. Document Reference:LBE_132255