Weapons and the law
Friday 2 May 2008
Young people committing knife crime, gun crime, and crimes with other weapons has been reported widely in the media over the last couple of years because of a number of tragic events. What are the laws surrounding weapons?
Knives
In the UK it isn't illegal to own a knife, except flick knives, butterfly knives and disguised knives. But used in a threatening way, any knife becomes an offensive weapon.
- New guidelines for police brought in June 2008 mean that anyone aged 16 or over who carries a knife can be prosecuted.
- It's illegal to buy any knife if you're under 18 (the minimum age has risen from 16 to 18).
- It's an offence to carry any knife in public.
- If caught, you could face two year's imprisonment and a £5,000 fine.
- It's legal to have a knife in public if you need it for your work (e.g. if you're a chef or a carpenter), if you have it for religious reasons (i.e. a sikh kirpan), or if it's a penknife less than three inches long, which you have no intention of using to hurt anyone.
- The maximum sentence for carrying a knife has increased from 2 years to 4 years.
- If you injure someone or use a knife to commit a crime the penalties could be far worse.
Guns
In the UK, the laws on guns are strict and they’re getting tougher.
- You need a licence to own a gun – there are strict restrictions on getting one.
- Two adults must vouch to the police that you're responsible enough to own a gun.
- If you're aged 14-17 you can use an airgun, which is a gun that does not use bullets, at a gun club or on private property if you have permission.
- If you're over 17 you can buy airguns and ammunition as long as the gun is under the UK legal limit of 12ft.lbs muzzle energy for rifles and 6ft.lbs muzzle energy for pistols.
Never carry a gun or knife 'just in case'. If the police find them, you'll be in trouble. And statistically you're more likely to be shot if you're carrying a gun.
Crimes involving guns in the UK are still rare. However, unfortunately increasing numbers of young people are being affected. In the first six months of 2007 4 youths aged between 15 and 17 were murdered on London’s streets alone.
In 2006, UK grime crew Roll Deep made a hard-hitting video that aimed at discouraging people from carrying guns, which also became part of a promotional campaign for the Metropolitan Police's Trident initiative, which tackles gun crime amongst London's black communities. Watch the making of the video.
Other weapons
It’s obvious that guns and knives are offensive weapons, but what about other items? Well, it’s as simple as this – any item that you have adapted to cause injury is considered a weapon. If you are stopped by police while carrying something fitting that description, be it a plank of wood, a baseball bat or whatever, it will be up to you to prove that you don’t intend to use it to cause harm.
Claiming that you're carrying a weapon in public for someone else is no excuse.
- Should you be arrested, and found guilty of carrying an offensive weapon in public, you could face a fine, imprisonment, or both.
- If you're found guilty of grievous bodily harm you could face life imprisonment.
- If you're found guilty of manslaughter, attempted murder or murder, your punishment could also be life imprisonment.
Handing weapons in
If you have a weapon and are considering handing it in to the police, here are the tips and facts:
- Look out for weapons amnesties, in which you can hand in an offensive weapon without risk of prosecution.
- Whatever the reason you have an offensive weapon, police advice is to contact your local station to arrange to hand it in. But bear in mind you could still be charged with possession.
- If you find a gun or a flick knife, police advice is not to touch it, but to report it to the police either in person or over the phone.
If you have any concerns relating to weapons and crime you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Have you been affected by knife or gun crime? Do you carry a weapon? Why? We want to know your stories in the debate.
