UK Succeeding in Efforts to Stop Knife Crime

The United Kingdom appears to be succeeding in its efforts to stop knife crime. A new report indicates that the number of offenders jailed for knife crime is up by 23 percent over the past year.

The rising number of people jailed for knife crime is a reflection of the UK's commitment to carry out full punishments for those caught illegally carrying a knife. The police have been giving fewer warnings and more sentences.

The same report showed that the average sentence length also increased over the past year. The average sentence for knife crime is now 38 percent longer.

"It is crucial that everyone feels safe when they walk around our towns and cities," said the UK's justice secretary, Jack Straw. "That is why we have clamped down on thugs who carry knives and doubled the longest jail term available."