Decision day for your knife crime battle
Russell Steele • Published 17 Jun 2010 14:00
D-DAY in the Inverclyde community's war against knife crime is less than two weeks away, it has been announced.
The Scottish Parliament has finally confirmed the date for a crucial vote on whether knife-carriers should be sent to prison to serve a mandatory sentence.
Crunch time will come on Wednesday 30 June in the Holyrood chamber - marking the culmination of a campaign which started right here in Inverclyde and was taken forward relentlessly by the Greenock Telegraph.
Today one of the leading lights in the award-winning blitz on blades has warned ALL the politicians that the eyes of tens of thousands of people who have rallied to the cause all across Scotland will be upon them.
John Muir, whose son Damian was stabbed to death in Greenock in 2007, sparking the campaign, said: "Over the last two years I've either spoken to or heard from thousands of people across Scotland who want their streets back.
"I would urge all the MSPs to back all of us in the vote on the 30th, and ensure common sense finally prevails."
Labour and the Conservatives are attempting to make automatic sentences part of the Scottish Government's flagship Criminal Justice and Licensing Bill - but the bid faces opposition from the SNP and Liberal Democrats.
The country's 129 MSPs will ultimately decide during an all-day debate at Holyrood which will take centre stage in the political agenda.
Wendy Metcalfe, editor of the Greenock Telegraph, said: "Our Stop Knives, Save Lives drive has already chalked up a truly remarkable list of accomplishments.
"It secured a £500,000 educational drive against knives in our local schools before anywhere else in Scotland.
"It sparked a change in the way knife offenders were dealt with at Greenock Sheriff Court in relation to bail and closed a dangerous legal loophole on knife possession in common closes.
"The whole community's efforts were also recognised when the Tele won Campaign of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards.
"But the biggest accomplishment in the campaign of all would be a vote for the tougher sentencing regime demanded by our readers when they packed out our Inverclyde Knife Crime Conference in March 2009.
"The day after that unprecedented meeting we told the politicians it was time to deliver - and now our army of readers will finally be able to see if they can."
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 17 Jun 10
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