CriminaLess CriminaLess Magazine IRENA RASHEVA FINAL | Page 4

Multipurpose Magazine
surviving the epidemic of
knife atacks IN LONDON
132
. This is the number of peo-
ple killed in knife stabbings in London for
the 12 months ending September 2018.
Knives were used to take the lives of 285
people across England and Wales in the
same period of time- a record since collect-
ing data began 73 years ago in 1946. Most
of the victims were youngsters between
16 and 24, followed by the group range of
people between 25 and 34.
Knife attacks are the most common crimi-
nal offences in the UK. However, studies
show that most people tend to underesti-
mate the real danger of a knife attack. Al-
though for many of them knives may not
seem as dangerous as guns, you may be
surprised to find out that indeed they are.
Firrsty, because they are much easier to
use and secondly, everyone because of the
ease of access to one of those weapons.
One can easily get hold of a knife instead
of having to get a permission for a gun for
example (it is quite hard to get one in the
UK). Knife attacks have become so com-
mon that the newspapers often call it an
“epidemic”.
It is essential to understand that knives
may cause much more damage than guns.
The reason - you may miss the target with
a firearm, but you will hardly miss it with a
knife. You do not need to reload your knife
- it is always ready for use. Moreover, a
knife can cause life threatening wounds as
it can penetrate into vital organs. Let’s not
forget some of the other characteristics -
knives do not require maintenance, they
are silent, they never malfunction.
There are some tips which you can follow
in order to avoid being a victim of a knife
crime.
According to the Home Office Statistics,
83% of the knife attacks happen when it
is dark outside. If you need to make your
way home late at night make sure you have
planned your route. If it’s possible avoid
quiet areas and neighborhoods with bad
reputation. These are : Islington, Camden,
Southwark, Hackney and Lambeth - all of
them have crime rates of more than 1000
per square kilometre. When you are look-
ing for a place to live, always consider the
Page no. 4
Britain’s fatal stabbings
reach record highs since data
collection began 73 years ago.