As I see it: MP Robert Jenrick on knife crime in Newark

Over the past few months, Newark has been rocked by a spate of stabbings – three in total, two of them tragically fatal, writes Newark MP Robert Jenrick.

Behind those numbers are devastated families, friends in mourning, and a lot of residents concerned about what seems to be happening in our town. People should never have to live in fear in their own communities.

Yet too many do. That’s not acceptable.

That is why I have organised a meeting with the Chief Constable. I want answers about what is being done, and I want to be certain the police have the resources and the leadership to get a grip of serious violent crime in Nottinghamshire. Residents deserve nothing less.

Knife crime has become a national emergency. Lives are being lost, people drawn into gangs, drug related crime driving violence, whole communities scarred.

I am told that in at least one of the cases in Newark the victim knew his attacker and so the causes of the present challenge are complex and not always connected. Nonetheless we need to take action.

I have long argued for tougher sentences, more visible policing, and real powers to get knives off our streets. Every crime should be investigated, and every offender punished - severely if necessary.

This links to something I’ve said before: if you let so-called “minor” crime go unchecked, worse will follow.

The “Broken Windows” principle is simple - deal firmly with shoplifting, graffiti, antisocial behaviour and you stop escalation.

Fail to do so, and you create the conditions for serious violence. The stabbings in Newark show all too clearly what happens when crime is allowed to fester.

Families across Newark tell me they feel abandoned – and they are right to. Weak leadership is failing victims, failing the police who want to do their jobs, and failing the public who simply want to feel safe.

I will continue to fight for more police on the beat, faster justice for offenders, and a real crackdown on those who think they can carry knives without consequences.

Newark should be a safe market town where parents don’t worry every time their children step outside, not a place scarred by repeated stabbings.

If you or your family have been affected by crime, I want to hear from you. It doesn’t have to be like this. We can and must make Newark safe again.