Some machetes and other knives can have 'legitimate uses', such as those used for gardening, agriculture or culinary purposes.
This complicates legislation around knives, as it means certain blades can be kept at home and remain unseized by the police.
Currently, this means that even if police find a machete or other legal blade inside someone's residence and they believe the items could be used for violent or criminal activity, they have no lawful right to seize a blade.
Why, exactly, should we be tightening legislation because the police have trouble understanding it? We did that with the Dangerous Dogs Act, and yet the lazy bastards still refuse to act if they think they can get away with it.
And since when did police 'suspicion' that you might do something illegal with a legal possession count for anything?
Zombie knives are already included in the list of banned knives, meaning it is illegal to possess them, bring them into the UK, sell or hire them out or lend them to someone. But this only applies to the weapons which meet the three criteria: cutting edge, serrated edge and words or images that imply they are to be used for violence.
You have to have some criteria. What's wrong with these? It's not like my kitchen doesn't contain several knives just as capable of killing someone even without the words 'zombie annihilator' written on the hilt...
Current Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: 'The thugs wielding these deadly knives aim to terrorise their victims and the public, and too often even carry out horrific or fatal attacks.
'They are emboldened by the cowardly idea that carrying these blades inflates their own status and respect.'
And Home Secretaries seem to be emboldened by pressure groups and newspaper headlines into knee jerk reactions that do little to resolve the real problem, Suella.
If the possessors of these items don't have a garden or work on a farm then that should be a clue for even the dumbest plod. Being dumb might be a pre-requisite for becoming a plod these days though.
ReplyDeleteEspecially the graduates!
DeleteSome years ago, taking the camper van onto the ferry, we were the lucky vehicle to attract security attention. I was asked to exit the vehicle to the cabin, asked if I had any drugs or knives on my person then checked through a metal screen arch. Asked if I usually carried a knife I answered no, but reminded the official we were travelling in a camper van with kitchen area and appropriate utensils. Silence as we went on our way.
ReplyDeleteLOL!
DeletePerhaps these aspiring rappers are only carrying machetes as a cultural activity in memory of their ancestors who used them in the same fields so the wypo masters can make money? Or they are thieving little, and not so little, shits, who believe their race entitles them to ignore the law?
ReplyDeletePenseivat