Zero tolerance and harsher sentencing works - look at the change in New York.
I have lived in London my whole life. Since 2006 I have been mugged twice and been carjacked - all at knife point.
I don't live there anymore

E, Barcelona, Spain

Ms Anthrope, I for one will gladly riot if say innocent black youths are targetted unfairly left open to police tyranny. When black youths kill each other its swept under the carpet and we are told trident will deal with it. White deaths as usual get more the, and the victims always seen as saints

Chonts, London,

"First take away their guns, now their knives. What's next - ban all pointy objects and the right to self defense?"
Needless to say the comments above were from an American. Let's go back to sorting out differences with a one on one punch up. There's your self defence without people getting killed.

Paul, Perth, Australia

Agatha...I can see where you get that impression. But it was the black people working tirelessly to stop the "Rascist" stop and search on black males. Now police are too scared of being called rascist to do the hard job that needs doing.
The police need your support. Not your critisism.

Daniel, Bristol,

Stop and search was said not to have worked the last time it was widely used. There was no intelligent targetting of people, just blanket stopping of anyone who fit a profile. The crimes were still committed.

In residential areas, some guys simply went home to fetch a knife from the kitchen!

Joan, London,

Youths carry knives to be 'cool' among their peers. They commit crimes to appear 'cool'. When they are locked up, or given an asbo, they are badges of honour in their strange world. Punish them by humiliation - punish them by making them a laughing stock amongst their peers.

simon, nottingham, uk

I Know that this is not going to happen. But what if all adults of good standing were required by law to carry a weapon for the defence of themselves and others, and given training in the use of such. What sort of effect would this have on the level of street crime?

FEF, Tewkesbury,

"Those who would sacrifice their freedoms for security deserve neither".

We must stop rolling over every time the papers and government tell us to be afraid, and giving up freedoms. Stop and search will save no more lives than CCTV cameras.

James Wright, Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom

Agatha's comment is cobblers. One of the very recent murder victims was stabbed with a shard of glass or similar and the attacker has given himself up. The Oxford Street death was black on black was earlier reported to have involved the the victim also having his throat slashed which is now denied.

IAN CAMERON., LONDON. , UNITED KINGDOM.

Isn't it about time the black community faced up to the problem within their community? All this is not the fault of slavery, white people etc - it's a family problem. I predict riots if the police start effectively searching youths in black areas.

Roger, Norwich,

Philco, Stirling,

The majority of crimes in places outside London, such as Manchester, are commited by white British people.

Nick, Manchester,

Out on bail for a gangland knifing and gang rape. Who made that decision! These offences are committed by a small number of people. They need to be locked up for a long, long time. If we need to build more prisons so be it, criminals should be aware there are serious consequences for serious crimes

chris , singapore, singapore

My message to Assistant Commissioner Tim Godwin, even if the stop and search is targeted at youngsters and colour people - so be it if it means avoiding the loss of life to another - zero tolerance is the way to go. Government must stop release prisoners early...

d, London, uk

"We really have to do something about carrying weapons on the streets of London, where when you have a barney you stab someone rather than hit them.”

Oh that's right, the norm becomes hitting people? What he should have said is when you have a barney you sort it out using words or walk away.

Laura Roberts, London, UK

"If you are not guilty and have nothing to hide, then being stopped and searched is not a problem."

Oh that old chestnut, I wondered when that would be trotted out. In other words, you're presumed guilty until you can prove your innocence to a policeman. ie we become a police state

Jim, Exeter,

I have no sympathy for rapist knife carriers

Sean, wembley, england

Why is it that out of all the races living in London, these particular crimes are largely committed by young black men?

The figures don't lie, but until we admit that it is a
'black problem' we are not going to solve it.

G, London, UK

If the young people are scared why don't they wear anti-stab body armor instead.

KP, Auckland, New Zealand

More police on the streets? Knife crime is on the rise because the courts fail to impose sentences that fit the crime, the poor police bring someone before the courts only to see them get off with a slap on the wrist - Government are ultimately responsible for the judiciary's soft sentencing!

Stuart, London, England

Believe me Anthony Burkson it is far far worse in Africa. Johannesburg is the most dangerous city in the world and all African urban centres are more dangerous than London. They have plenty of AK47's there

John Pierpont, London,

If you are not guilty and have nothing to hide, then being stopped and searched is not a problem. If just one single knife is confiscated then that is fantastic...it prevents someone being stabbed, probably to death. Why else would a person need to carry a knife?

jenny, manchester, uk

We need stop and search all over London... Action is long overdue. London needs a zero tolerance approach to violent crime. The stronger the police presence, the better. I'm sick of the cries of "poor young black male with no father role model" - it doesn't mean you use a deadly weapon.

Lea, London,

To Chandra, it could have been anyone that could have been stabbed, so be concerned and to Floyd, the 1st rule of government is to protect it's citizens, stop and search is a small price to pay if saves lives, particularly as being 50 and white and lawbiding i'm not the one being targeted.

Andrew Wakeling, London, uk

Anyone with the smallest pair of scissors or nail clippers will have it conviscated and logged as a "Sharp object".
Details leaked just in time for Crewe by election.

"Look we are protecting you", says labour, after the bolted horse's barn door has been slammed so many times it has fallen off !!.

Sean Hamerton, York, England.

If you want to watch why young people are carrying weapons watch a dvd called 'The Endz'. It is a 'documentary' which in many ways glamourises the gangs and their reasoning but you can put a face and a voice to what you see in the tabloids.

Sarah, London, Woolwich,

'Many of the murders were arguments where someone has produced a knife or street robberies that have gone wrong'.............so street robberies without knives are right?........lock em up and throw away the key

karlos, wakefield, england

I love that scene in the Steve Martin film LA Story- "Oh no, Its open season on the freeway!"
It seems in this case some sort of natural jusitice has occured and I dont feel so bad about it....

andrew, London, UK

There seems to be an issue with young black men killing each other usually over nothing in both the UK and the US. This is not repeated in Africa where there are more black men than any where else in the world. the question why are black men born or living in the west so violent.??BAD PARENTING!!!

Anthony Burkson, bristol, avon

We are now harvesting the crop from the pc years of new labour. Scores of young males born into single parent households and raised on benefits. Without direction, disicpline or prospects, they form their own tribes as a substitute family.
Sadly the tories are no better despite the hype. BNP?

John, Lincoln,

When John from California says the streets are "relatively safe", does he know that in 2006 there were 2,483 murders in California (pop.37 million) and 766 in the UK (pop. 60 million). That makes the UK 5 times more "reasonably safe" than California. Happy hunting.

Richard, stockholm,

Agatha you are promoting racial differences just by stereo typing and using phrases like black families and white politicians

bob, london,

Don't forget that simply carrying a knife is not - and should not be - illegal.

s.139 Criminal Justice Act 1988 allows the carrying of a folding, non-locking pocket knife if the cutting edge of the blade is less than 3" long.

I'm a retired bobby. I carry a Swiss Army knife 24/7

Invaluable!

maximus otter, Cambridge,

Finding knives on youngsters can be fairly easy but it is what you do with them after they are found to be carrying, i believe anyone found carrying an offensive weopon should be caged for 6 months,no arguments,no trial just do it maybe they will think twice then.

jack, Salford,

Gang rapist stabed, shame! Time to get tough on these gangs this is not a Birtish problem at all it is an inherited one; long sentences, deportation and for the most serious cases the death penalty are the only answers.

Dean, Southampton, England

Why is it considered 'Racist' to point out that the vast majority of these crimes are perpetrated by people whos origins do not come from these islands?

This is causing a real problem with the authorities letting it happen because of fear of 'offending' people.

Philco, Stirling, UK

Norman 'invasion of privacy' and "over-sensationalising crime"?

Don't know when you were last in the UK, but there's an unpleasant atmosphere in places where groups of youths congregate, and they know the 'power' this gives them.

Australia may be a safe place, but the UK today (sadly) is not!

Terry, Bagneres, France

I predict a riot or two if the Police actually start to implement stop-and-search. But the will of society has to dominate over the casual chaotic violence of this vicious ignorant subculture.

Ms Anthrope, London,

It was always going to be the death of a white youth, killed by another white youth, that motivated the gov' to pull its finger out.

Black families who have lost children have worked tirelessly to organise a change but have been ignored by white politicians who would rather promote racial hatred.

Agatha, , London,

I am a Londoner and have lived here all my life. The city I used to love is out of control, even a walk in Regent's Park on a sunny day can be marred by abuse from cyclists. As a 60 year old woman, living alone, I no longer go out after dark even for food

Sara Haydon, Camden Town, London, UK

This is unfortunately just politics, being seen to do something. A new Major making his mark. The problem is, we do not have a deterrent, there is no prison space, the judges are advised to avoid custodial sentences, and they know this. Then there will be complaint of racial profiling....

Chris, Dubai,

Unless you attune to the mindset of kids it is difficult to steer them, likely to follow this cult, away. Sending the police into schools will glorify it; attention needs to be guided away, not focused to. Police cannot tell the kids there are severe consequences to violence because there aren’t any.

Bob, warrington, cheshire

Daniel. Here in LA, 9 out of 10 cars on the road is driven by
a guy with a gun. More than half the people in the city are
packing heat as we say. The streets are relatively safe because
you just don't know if the other guy is a better shot than you.

John, Placentia, OC California

We have a serious problem with young black males who are in the vast majority of the cases both the murderers and the victims. The sus laws were removed because the PC chattering classes deemed them to in some twisted way racist. So for the sake of the liberal left many people have died needlessly.

Richard K, Nottingham,

Why doesn't anyone question the fact that people's privacy is being invaded. It seems that today's British people, pumped up by tabloids over-sensationalising crime, would happily give up all their rights and freedoms to make themselves feel better. Where is the stronger character from WWI & II

Norman, Sydney, Australia

When are the authorities going to get "tough on the causes of crime"? Sorry, but this so-called stop and search blitz is nothing more than a marketing exercise. Get to the roots of the problem and do something about that. But of course, that would mean treating citizens as human beings for a change.

Jennifer Hynes, Plymouth, England

No doubt the civil rights will get involved in the operation and protest that the police are picking on young black people in their searches for knives and that everyone should be stopped and searched. No wonder the police are finding it difficult to protect the public

stanley, Haifa,

I think Com Tim Godwin's comments about "having a barney" show the continued establishment denial that it's not the indigenous population doing this. It's not OUR culture. We've imported this problem along with unwanted and unasked for immigration. Who can blame us for now feeling threatened?

Robert, London, England

Its not rocket science. Yesterday afternoon in Crawley there were 15 or so policemen and women solely engaged in pulling over motorists for some kind of roadside checks. I'm sure the majority of the British public would far rather see the police used to tackle the kind of crimes mentioned above.

John, Redhill,

What use is this operation, if the morons are just put back on the streets ? They need to be punished and if they are under eighteen, then their parents should be held accountable and fined heavily.

Hamad Lone, London, England

A lot of 3rd world countries give police a great deal of latitude in trampling on human rights without a noticeable effect on crime, so it's worrying that our government believes it is a solution here. Politicians like stop and search because it is visible and costs nothing, but it won't fix things.

eric, London,

I don't know if it's just me but criminals killing criminals, like the Oxford Street stabbing, doesn't bother me in the slightest-it helps to keep down the numbers. When innocents like Jimmy Mizen get killed, that's when I get bothered-as this article states, youths are now asking for protection.

Chandra, Leeds, UK

How long before there are shrieks of "racist police" following on from stop and searches ?

Edward Johns, Lannion, France

It's about time something was done to stop this wave of youth crime. In any case, if this McDonald's victim was out on bail for gang rape, I say he got his just desserts.

Mrs Baxter, Vienna,

The London Police had better keep an wary eye open not only for knife carrying youths but for the Civil Rights do gooders who will be watching them very carefully and screaming "Foul" if a knife carrying lad (or girl) is harassed in any way.

Barry, Brighton Sussex, UK

Crime was a significant factor in my decision to leave London for New York, where, I must say, I feel much safer on the streets and on public transport. Perhaps it's no coincidence that stop and search is widely used here.

Larry Livermore, New York City, USA

Amazing what the British will tolerate in pursuit of safety.

Daniel, California,

Cameras on every corner. Police searching people who have committed no crime. First take away their guns, now their knives. What's next - ban all pointy objects and the right to self defense?
When the right to self-defense is denied, an oppressive govn't possesses the ability to tyrannize.

Floyd, Orlando, FL., U.S.A.

Each time I read a well publised story on a stabbing or death of a young person in London, it makes my heart sink. After 4 years of enduring countless headlines regarding these events, and generally not feeling safe, I decided to move out of London. Looking back, it was the best decision I made.

Chris, Edinburgh, UK

How can someone be on bail for gang rape and knifing this person was an obvious danger to the public

dw, London, England

We're finally seeing a move away from the foolish "liberalism" engendered by Blair's government - the idea that everyone is responsible enough to be entrusted with freedom and that all can be happy and flourish. Envy and anger will flourish in these conditions. Bring on good old Tory realism.

John Stitch, London,

It's relieving to see some serious action being taken to reduce the rates of crime in London, particularly violent crime which seems to plague what would otherwise be a so much more pleasant city.

Adam, Oxford,