Efforts are being made to prevent violent offenders from owning knives as proposed measures come under consideration by the Home Secretary. Those individuals with a history of knife possession or violence may be categorized as “prohibited” individuals under the suggested crackdown devised by law enforcement. These individuals would face legal restrictions on purchasing specific types of knives or seeking registration as knife sellers. Furthermore, law enforcement would gain enhanced authority to conduct searches on the persons or their premises for weapons.
The proposal is outlined in a report by Commander Stephen Clayman, the lead on knife crime for the National Police Chiefs’ Council. Tasked by Yvette Cooper to devise strategies addressing the rise in online knife sales and accessibility of weapons, his investigation revealed a prevalent “grey market” where individuals engage in bulk knife purchases for resale through various media and sales platforms. At least 15 such grey market sellers have been identified by the police, collectively selling around 2,000 weapons.
Cmdr Clayman has suggested that a mandatory registration system for knife retailers could effectively dismantle this illicit market. By amending the legislation to prohibit unregistered individuals from selling knives online, the goal is to render all grey market activities illegal. This would also entail tech and social media companies promptly removing any such illegal content, thus shutting down this illicit trade entirely.
In line with the proposals, retailers would be obligated to report suspicious or bulk sales to the authorities, while maintaining records of every knife buyer for police scrutiny on demand. “Prohibited” individuals would be prohibited from acquiring certain knife types, and any attempt to purchase knives on their behalf would be considered a criminal offense. Ms. Cooper is considering consulting on the registration plans while proposing an immediate escalation of penalties for illegal knife sales to children from a maximum of six months imprisonment to two years.
Social media platforms would be mandated to expeditiously remove unlawful knife-related content upon notification from the police, and retailers would be prohibited from offering “mystery boxes,” “mystery knives,” or discounted add-ons, as per the report’s recommendations. The review of online knife sales unveiled dubious practices such as a “Lucky Dip” promotion featuring numerous five-star reviews offered at attractively low prices. Cmdr Clayman emphasized the need to halt such practices, including the sale of mystery boxes containing knives.
The report recounted an instance of a brief Snapchat video showcasing hunting knives and a boxed crossbow on a bed, with the display name incorporating a plug emoji symbolizing a supplier. Subsequent investigations revealed that this seller had purchased 563 knives and swords totalling nearly £6,000, with 99 blades discovered during a search warrant at his residence in August 2021. It is suspected that he sold the remaining 464 knives not found at his home, in addition to potentially many more that could not be substantiated by the police.
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