Police promise tough stance on weapon crime

Monday 12 November 2018

Jersey’s police force has promised to get tough on crime involving weapons, as they confirmed that a teenager had been charged and will now face court over an alleged knifepoint robbery.

The 17-year-old, who will this morning appear in Youth Court, was said to have mugged two other boys of the same age shortly before midnight last Thursday on Trinity Road.

He had been walking along with another boy, when he was alleged to have threatened the approaching pair with a knife, forcing them to hand over money and a mobile phone.

Police arrested the teen, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on Friday morning. He has remained in custody since then and was charged with two counts of robbery.

Pictured: The mugging was alleged to have happened where Dongola Road and Trinity Road meet.

The news comes as the issue of knife crime comes under intense scrutiny in the UK spotlight.

It emerged last week that five people had been stabbed to death in London, as crimes involving knives or bladed instruments hit a seven-year high in the UK.

Blame has been placed on various factors, ranging from police cuts, to the decreasing use of stop and search and a lack of social opportunities for young people.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan warned that tackling the problem could take as many as 10 years.

Pictured: The 17-year-old remains in custody, and will appear in Youth Court on Tuesday morning.

However, Jersey Police's Sergeant Lynda McKenna described crimes of this nature as “rare in the island.”

She nonetheless pledged a tough stance from the Force on all crimes involving weapons.

“…The States of Jersey Police will rigorously investigate crimes where weapons are involved to bring those responsible before the Court,” she said.