Going Ballistic Cover HDS 11/7/08 10:23 Page 1 Murders involving knives and firearms never fail to grab the headlines, yet they are relatively rare. Gun crime, for example, represents only 0.4% of all recorded crime in England and Wales. The public are often sceptical, however, when they read figures such as this – and they have reason to be so. The evidence collected for this report suggests that chaotic, street- Going Ballistic level firearms offences, often associated with young people, have risen. The research team, led by former Assistant Chief Constable Dr Bob Golding, have built a report around primary research taken Going from interviews and surveys with police constables and sergeants, Youth Offending Team Managers, young offenders, public polling and case studies in Manchester and Birmingham. Ballistic The report shows that the nature of the threat from gangs, guns and knives is changing, and the Government must change its approach if communities are to stem the tide of youth violence. Dr Bob Golding and Jonathan McClory Edited by Gavin Lockhart Dealing with guns, gangs and knives The research findings support four primary arguments: that official crime figures do not reflect the experiences of many communities in England and Wales; that information and intelligence sharing between agencies is lacking; that early intervention and prevention work needs to be targeted and expanded and that the relevant legislation governing gun and knife crime is a mess. Dr Bob Golding and Jonathan McClory Edited by Gavin Lockhart £10.00 ISBN: 978-1-906097-29-5 Policy Exchange Policy Exchange Clutha House 10 Storey’s Gate London SW1P 3AY www.policyexchange.org.uk Going Ballistic HDS 11/7/08 10:10 Page 1 Going Ballistic Dealing with guns, gangs and knives Dr Bob Golding and Jonathan McClory Edited by Gavin Lockhart Policy Exchange is an independent think tank whose mission is to develop and promote new policy ideas which will foster a free society based on strong communities, personal freedom, limited government, national self-confidence and an enterprise culture. Registered charity no: 1096300. Policy Exchange is committed to an evidence-based approach to policy development. We work in partnership with aca- demics and other experts and commission major studies involving thorough empirical research of alternative policy out- comes. We believe that the policy experience of other countries offers important lessons for government in the UK. We also believe that government has much to learn from business and the voluntary sector. Trustees Charles Moore (Chairman of the Board), Theodore Agnew, Richard Briance, Camilla Cavendish, Richard Ehrman, Robin Edwards, George Robinson, Tim Steel, Alice Thomson, Rachel Whetstone, Virginia Fraiser, Andrew Sells. Going Ballistic HDS_amended 1 11/7/08 15:18 Page 2 About the authors Dr Bob Golding crime. Jonathan graduated from the Associate lecturer in Criminal Justice Studies, University of Michigan with a dual degree University of Portsmouth; Consultant in economics and politics. In 2006 he Bob Golding was lately an Assistant Chief completed an MSc in Public Policy at Constable with Warwickshire Police until University College London. Jonathan has his retirement in 2006. Additionally he previously worked at the American held the Research and Development port- Consulate in Hamburg, Germany and for folio for the Association of Chief Police the BBC at Television Centre in London. Officers (ACPO). Since retirement, he has This is his fifth publication for Policy been both Programme Manager in setting Exchange. up the Home Office/ACPO National Ballistics Intelligence Programme; and Gavin Lockhart programme consultant on ACPO's Head of Crime and Justice Unit, Policy Criminal Use of Firearms Group, involv- Exchange ing a programme of projects relating to Gavin Lockhart has responsibility for crime gun crime based around intelligence, and justice research at Policy Exchange. enforcement and prevention. After graduating in 2002 with a first-class degree, Gavin worked as a management Jonathan McClory consultant before joining Policy Exchange Research Fellow for the Crime and Justice in August 2006. He has also edited seven Unit at Policy Exchange Policy Exchange reports including Measure Jonathan joined Policy Exchange in 2006 for Measure, Fitting the Bill and Unlocking and has specialised in policing and violent the Prison Estate. © Policy Exchange 2008 Published by Policy Exchange, Clutha House, 10 Storey’s Gate, London SW1P 3AY www.policyexchange.org.uk ISBN: 978-1-906097-29-5 Printed by Heron, Dawson and Sawyer Designed by John Schwartz, [email protected] 2 Going Ballistic HDS 11/7/08 10:10 Page 3 Contents Acknowledgements 4 Executive Summary 5 1 Introduction 7 2 Gun Crime: Theory and Legislation 13 3 Knife Crime: Theory and Legislation 19 4 Gangs, Violent Crime and Prevention 26 5 Police Federation Survey 31 6 Youth Justice System and Youth Offender Teams 40 7 Manchester case study 50 8 Birmingham case study 58 9 Conclusion 66 www.policyexchange.org.uk • 3 Going Ballistic HDS_amended 1 11/7/08 15:19 Page 4 Acknowledgements Policy Exchange thanks the Hadley Trust, the Chris Downey, Xcalibre Taskforce Local Government Association, John Nash Andy Newsam, Youth Justice Board and George Robinson for their generous sup- Ralph Corrigan, Manchester Multi port of this project. The authors would also Agency Gangs Strategy like to thank those who contributed their Enver Solomon, Centre for Crime and time and expertise to this project including Justice Studies various YOTs, members of the Police Metin Enver, Police Federation Federation and the extremely helpful officers Derek Barnett, Police Superintendents at Greater Manchester and West Midlands Association Police forces. A special thanks should go to Erinma & Raymond Bell, those who helped organise our site visits and Manchester Police Independent case studies. Advisory Group Jim Dolan, Greater Manchester Police Sharon Naughton, West Midlands Shaun Donnellan, Xcalibre Taskforce Police Maureen Noble, Manchester CDRP Carl Foulkes, West Midlands Police Rob Hawksley, Greater Manchester Tom Coughlan, West Midlands Police Police Kirk Dawes, West Midlands Mediation Keith Bristow, Warwickshire Police Service John MacDonald, Association of Chief Paul Etchells, West Midlands Police Police Officers Dave Keller, Greater Manchester Police Darren Shenton, Greater Manchester Finally, the authors would like to thank Police Philippa Ingram, Richard Carter, Mike Jerrod Luck, Greater Manchester Police Morgan-Giles, Emily Dyer, Julian Chant, Marie O’Laughlin, Greater Manchester Natalie Evans, Ben Ullmann and all those Police who commented on drafts of this report. 4 Going Ballistic HDS 11/7/08 10:10 Page 5 Executive Summary Murders involving knives and firearms, taken from Youth Justice Board statistics, such as the cases of the headteacher Philip Home Office and British Crime Survey Lawrence, who was stabbed by a teenager statistics and police strategy documents while trying to protect a pupil, or seven- supplement this material. year-old Toni-Ann Byfield, shot in the The incomplete official picture of back by a drug dealer in a North London firearms crime and the timelag of up to bedsit, never fail to grab the headlines, yet two years in publishing crime figures make they are relatively rare. Gun crime, repre- it difficult for the Government to identify sents only 0.4% of all recorded crime in or respond promptly to emerging trends. England and Wales.1,2 The evidence collected for this report sug- The public are often sceptical, however, gests that chaotic, street-level firearm when they read figures such as this – and offences, often associated with young peo- they have reason to be so. Official police ple, have risen: statistics and the annual British Crime Survey do not offer a complete picture of Nearly three-quarters of police constables gun and knife crime because much of it – and sergeants believe that gang crime has especially violence between criminals and become worse over the past five years;3 offences by children under 16 – goes unre- More than half of young offenders feel ported. Organisations that could provide that the police are unable to protect extra data to fill out the picture, such as the them from violent crime in their area Ministry of Defence or hospital A&E and eight out of ten of people in departments, are often reluctant to do so. Britain think violent youth crime is And the Government sometimes uses worse now than it was five years ago;4 minor variations from one year to another More than half of young offenders have to present a misleading picture of an had a gun or knife used against them or improving situation. In other words, our been threatened with a gun or knife in crime figures do not reflect the experiences the past 12 months;5 of many communities in England and More than 1 in 4 of those surveyed Wales. This conflict between official statis- (27%) have either been the victim of a tics and public opinion forms the back- violent crime committed by children or drop to this report. young people, have had a gun or knife The authors, Dr Bob Golding, a former used against them, have been threat- assistant chief constable, and Jonathan ened with one or know a friend or rel- 1 Hales G, Lewis C and McClory – have worked from the point of ative who has had a gun or knife used Silverstone D, Gun Crime: the view of those closest to gun and knife against them or who has been threat- market in and use of illegal firearms,