One of the saddest parts of an MP’s life is dealing with the death of a constituent from violent crime or hideous accident, especially if the victim is young.
There is nothing more unnatural or miserable than parents burying their own children. Families’ lives suffer for years: some barely recover; all have to dig deep and find resilience and new purpose to pull through.
Today – in the wake of two more stabbings in Gloucester, one fatal, and another young man killed in Cheltenham, all last week – I’m asking every family in our city to find a different sort of courage.
Because, despite what some people may want to believe, almost all the knife stabbings are between people known to each other, not random attacks. Ours is not a dangerous city for people not involved in drugs or carrying knives – and I say that living by and walking in Gloucester Park almost every day I’m not in Parliament. It is a safe park.
And while not all of the very serious knife crimes are caused by arguments about drugs and drug money, many are – as the police and the courts can testify.
So keeping out of the drug scene, and not carrying a knife, massively reduces the chances of getting caught up in a stabbing. And that means every family having those difficult discussions: do we know anyone who carries a knife or is involved in drugs? And if they are, what is it going to lead to? Who’s the next casualty?
We can all do things to help. The Police can break down the gangs who want to flood Gloucester and Cheltenham with drugs, like the duet sentenced last week. They can work with charities and schools about a programme of education in the widest sense. The PCC can and should focus more on this.
Meanwhile councils can commission tough love programmes like that of the Nelson Trust. Those who’ve gone to prison can tell, movingly, of their journey – modern cautionary tales. Schools and youth groups have to engage and Councillors and civic groups must spread the word about the safety of our city and the dangers of drugs and knives. Lastly Parliament can, and I hope will, widen sentencing discretion for judges.
For this is about US: our children, friends and communities. We can turn a blind eye, we can pretend we don’t know: we may be scared to know exactly what is going on. But it is only when enough people say ‘I am not going to see drug dealing go on any longer’ – and ring Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, that we will start to win.
So I’m asking all of my constituents to help save our young people by uniting against carrying knives and dealing in drugs. Let’s get our communities back.
