Blade City
Now the best Premier Brumby and Attorney General Hulls can come up with is that it is not cool to carry knives.
It’s either that or if they are having a search in the CBD then they give seven days notice!
Two years jail is the penalty, yet the bleeding hearts Judiciary and Brumby and Hulls seem to beleive that fines will make the thugs realize it is not cool to carry a knife…
They have to be joking you would think, but no they are fair dinkum, give us a break!
For any one who has lost a loved family member or anyone who has been injured by one of these cowards with a knife, I would love to hear from you at info@cvsa.asn.au (with name and telephone number please).
This from the Herald Sun…
THE sincerity of John Brumby’s latest war on knife crime has been called into question after a Sunday Herald Sun investigation found the Premier had failed to deliver on promises he made more than 10 years ago to tackle the problem.
Three key pledges Mr Brumby made in a 1999 anti-knife plan still remain unfulfilled – 3997 days after he vowed to deliver them in the short term to make Victoria’s streets safer.
Several promises the then Opposition leader told Victorians a Labor Government would deliver have only recently been introduced – one was acted on as late as last week.
And several of the changes to knife legislation promised by Mr Brumby that have been introduced have drawn criticism for being watered down by restrictions and limitations.
Mr Brumby announced his eight-point plan to stop knife crime on March 18, 1999 – the day before he was replaced as Labor leader by Steve Bracks.
The policy included bans on the sale of all knives, including those made for kitchen use, to children aged 16 and under.
It also included a ban on the sale and display of knives unless they were ceremonial, sport or work-related.
Neither of those plans have been properly implemented. Nor has a penalty Mr Brumby proposed for parents and carers who allowed children to carry knives.
The Government has toughened Victoria’s Control of Weapons Act, increasing fines and penalties for people caught with knives.
But police say their power to search has been offset by strict conditions, such as having to announce the search’s time and location seven days before it takes place.
Promoting his pledge in 1999, Mr Brumby said: “Labor is about controlling the possession of and use of knives and all dangerous weapons.”
Labor’s 1999 Community Protection Action policy, titled “No More Excuses on Crime”, said: “A Labor Government will address the increase in the proliferation of knives and other dangerous weapons in our community.”
A spokesman for Mr Brumby, Cameron Scott, said the Government doubled the penalties for carrying or using knives in 2007, with use of prohibited weapons such as daggers or flick knives attracting fines up to $28,000, or two years jail.
“We doubled this for carrying prohibited and controlled weapons in and around licensed venues,” Mr Scott said.
“We also removed self-defence as a lawful excuse for carrying weapons, and introduced new penalties for sellers of prohibited weapons.”
But Opposition police spokesman Peter Ryan accused Mr Brumby of breaking his promises and softening his stance.
“I respect civil liberties as much as anyone, but the practical reality is our communities are under threat by the way knives are being carried and used,” he said.
More than 2000 knife crimes were committed in Victoria last financial year, with 58 children aged 10-14 arrested. The Government yesterday responded to two serious knife attacks in Melbourne by announcing a new crackdown on the sale of illegal knives.
Banned daggers will be seized by a squad of 80 Consumer Affairs inspectors, who will work alongside Victoria Police.
Retailers will face fines of up to $30,000. A security guard was slashed across the face in East Bentleigh on Friday night and a man, 19, was stabbed in Pakenham yesterday.
Hi there Noel…
I support absolutely your assertions apropos the carriage, concealment and use of edged weapons per se.
In my view, it’s not so much the ‘type’ of knife that should be targeted, rather it should be the carriage and concealment (about the person), of ANY edged or pointed article (as a weapon) whatsoever.
At 2am on a Friday night, in King Street for example, there would be absolutely no reason for a person to be in possession of an edged item whatsoever.
Police should investigate the INTENT of an individual found in possession of a similar implement, in circumastance described above.
The notion that our young folk only wish to ‘pose’ with these so called ‘Rambo’ or Military styled knives, when frequenting city Night spots, is essentially nonsense.
As I’ve stated herein, it’s not the ‘TYPE or configuration of a knife. It’s ANY cutting or thrusting instrument, capable of being used as a weapon, which is carried or concealed in circumstances – again, as described above.
A little about myself Noel…
I’m a retired copper (AFP), a Court Expert in illicit and illegal weapons. Chief Instructor, Officer Survival & Defensive Tactics.
Trained by the FBI and other Law Enforcement Agencies, in the United States and abroad. Formerly, a consultant to several State Police Forces, Federal & State Government Departments, both in Australia and overseas.
If you’re interested Noel, perhaps I can offer you a little technical/legal advice, in you ongoing efforts to have ‘crimes against the person’, significantly reduced and more appropriately dealt with, in this State of Victoria.
With Messrs Brumby and Hulls, I’m of the belief that nothing will ever be done to the satisfaction of the public.
Many thanks, and you’re doing a magnificent job, thank you.
Kind regards…Richard OSBORNE.
Hi Richard, you make a lot of sense with what you say, however the culture of knifes started at the now closed Salt Night Club in South Yarra, the then Police Minister put in a lot of work with us in getting it closed and he wanted to/and was going to put metal scanners out to all police. Now I believe if this had happened then their would have been no knife culture now, but Bracks and Hulls moved him to a weak portfollio, the end result being what we have now, and idiots in the government who should no better getting on TV and saying it is not cool to carry a knife just made it a big thing for kids to do by saying that. Thank you for your post we will have to catch up for a coffee.