Mayor Sadiq Khan’s declare that cell phone thefts had been drivers behind knife crime in London insulted varied British commentators on-line forward of the brand new 12 months.
Khan appeared on Sky Information Sunday the place he was confronted on the continuing situation of knife crimes within the space. Whereas insisting that the quantity has gone down not too long ago, Khan additionally pointed to cell phone robberies as the principle situation.
“The most important private theft is of cell phones. We all know 20 or 30 years in the past automobile producers managed to scale back the theft of automobile stereos, cut back the thefts of the TomToms from vehicles by designing away the potential of doing so,” Khan mentioned.
When pressed particularly on knife crime, Khan mentioned in response, “That is as a result of they attempt to steal the cell phones.”
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Social media customers pushed again on Khan’s look and clarification.
“After a few softball questions on #NewYear2024, Sadiq Khan will get roasted on the appalling improve in knife and gun crime in London on his watch. Even Sly Information have had sufficient of the ineffective pillock! I do not suppose he was anticipating that,” commentator Lee Harris wrote.
Fellow political commentator Alex Armstrong responded, “Simply final evening, New Years Eve, whereas Sadiq Khan was praising himself for the ‘work’ he’s performed in London, a 16 12 months previous boy was stabbed to demise. He must go NOW.”
Former Mumford & Sons musician Winston Marshall requested, “What precisely is the distinction between cell phones in London and people in Birmingham and Manchester @SadiqKhan? Why do they result in improve knife crime right here however a lower up north?”
Writer and journalist Peter Lloyd exclaimed, “Caught off-guard throughout a #NewYear phase with Sky Information, Sadiq Khan will get skewered on the rampant gun and knife crime in London. He’s visibly shook. What an awesome begin to the 12 months!”
“Sure, one man can damage a metropolis. Did Sadiq Khan do it on objective or is he a real moron?” author Alexandra Marshall wrote.
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Latest knowledge offered by the Metropolitan police and the mayor’s personal figures be aware that whereas gun and knife crime has dropped in London, it’s primarily in sure classes similar to “knife crime with damage beneath 25,” referring to youth crime – whereas “knife crime with damage” broadly has solely dropped by about 1% from the beginning of the mayor’s tenure.
Khan additionally defined how he’s working with authorities to particularly goal telephone robberies.
“So if you can also make a second-hand telephone ineffective to a robber or a thief which means the temptation to take action goes away. Enforcement’s actually vital, so we’re utilizing knowledge now to verify we now have cops focusing on these components of our metropolis which we all know are…hotspots. So it’s a mixture of utilizing knowledge to focus on the hotspots, city facilities, transport hubs, but in addition working with the cell phone producers and the platforms to verify there isn’t a resale worth of a telephone,” Khan mentioned.
Fox Information Digital has reached out to Mayor Khan’s workplace for remark.
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Fox Information’ Peter Aitken contributed to this report.
