Frenzied stabbings and gangland murders on the streets of London have sparked a row between police and the Government as Home Secretary Sajid Javid hits back at claims officers are being ‘hamstrung’ by politicians.
Earlier this week, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said Home Office rules were making it harder for her officers to work.
The Met boss accused Sajid Javid’s department of ‘stepping back’ and said ‘greater leadership’ was needed.
She slammed a failure to introduce laws allowing police to use facial recognition and said more funding is needed.
It came after a row over whether cuts in funding are linked to rising crime as the force investigates its 120th murder this year.
Mr Javid said it was not fair to place to blame solely on his department.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick have disagreed over exactly how much help police are getting from Government
Mr Javid said he is giving officers every power he can to ensure they can prevent and solve crimes after London’s 116th murder of 2018. Cressida Dick said ‘greater leadership’ is needed. As they met on Saturday in Brixton Ms Dick said they were both on the same side as they attempt to end the violence gripping the capital
Speaking to the Sun on Sunday, the MP said: ‘Young people are losing their lives.
‘Parents and others will be absolutely devastated.
‘They are looking for leadership, absolutely from government, but also from police, mayors and others.
‘And that’s what they’re certainly going to get from the Government.
‘First and foremost, I am ensuring police have all the powers they need.
‘Carrying any type of knife is totally unacceptable and we have already made it illegal to sell, deliver or carry in public so-called zombie knives.
‘Our Offensive Weapons Bill, currently going through Parliament, will mean that in future if a police officer spots one of these gruesome weapons in someone’s home, they will be able to confiscate them on the spot and arrest the owner.’
The row follows the 116th murder investigation in the capital this year after a boy, 15, was stabbed in the heart and killed outside a chicken shop in Bellingham, London.
Jay Hughes (above) was attacked by four men who slashed at his body on the street last Thursday
This is the shocking moment Jai Sewell, 15, was stabbed in Bellingham, South East London
Five people have been murdered in stab attacks in the capital in the past eight days alone
Ayodeji Azeez, 22, died after being attacked by a gang of men who chased him in Anerley, South East London, on Sunday
Horrifying footage showed how the boy was standing outside the store with a friend when a gang carrying knives ran past.
The last member of the gang stopped in his tracks and lunged at Jay Hughes, known to friends as Jai Sewell, delivering the fatal blow.
Jai was the fifth person stabbed to death in six days.
It began with the murder of father Rocky Djelal, 38, who was killed in Southwark Park, Rotherhithe, in a targeted attack last Wednesday.
The next evening, Jai was killed. On Friday, college student Malcolm Mide-Madariola, 17, was knifed to death outside Clapham South Tube station.
Ayodeji Azeez, 22, from Dagenham, then died after being attacked by a gang of men who chased him down the street in Anerley, South East London, on Sunday.
Rocky Djelal (left) was killed in Rotherhithe in a targeted attack last Wednesday. Malcolm Mide-Madariola (right) was fatally stabbed outside Clapham South Tube station last Friday
The latest victim was a 16-year-old, known as John O, stabbed to death in Tulse Hill, South London, on Monday. Friends said he was a drill rapper known as JaySav.
Both Mr Javid and Ms Dick visited Briton to reveal there would be a £17.7million investment in 29 projects to keep children in the capital away from crime.
The nation’s top police officer said the pair were in agreement there must be a focus on violent crime.
Attempting to reassure the public Mr Javid said an independent review into drugs and gang violence would come in the future.
In October, Mr Javid vowed to make it easier for officers to use stop and search powers.
Mr Javid vowed to ‘reduce bureaucracy and increase efficiency in the use of this power’ to tackle rising levels of violent crime in London.
Figures released last week showed that the number of stop and searches in London has fallen in the last year despite the upward trend in knife crime.
Mr Javid unveiled details of a new drive to stop youngsters being drawn into crime or exploited by gangs on Saturday. (pictured with Cressida Dick)
Mr Javid said money was not the only way to improve policing and said police had to be confident in stopping and searching suspects, the Evening Standard reported.
He said: ‘Money alone isn’t the answer. That’s why I’m also making sure the police have the right powers too.
‘One of these powers is stop and search. I want officers to feel confident, trusted and supported in using stop and search, and I will be looking at ways to reduce bureaucracy and increase efficiency in the use of this power.’
In the year to March, police conducted 282,248 stops and searches – a fall of 7 per cent on the previous 12 months and the lowest number since current data collection started in the year to March 2002.
In London there was a fall of 2.4 per cent to 135,850, despite the level of knife crime rising to 14,987 attacks in the year ending in June, the highest on record.
While use of the tactic has fallen, the proportion of stop and searches leading to an arrest, 17 per cent, is the highest since the statistical series started.