Police union chief demands power "to save lives" after Kayden Moy beach death
Scotland's police union chief has demanded "more power to save lives" in the wake of Kayden Moy's tragic death.
David Kennedy, General Secretary of the Police Federation, said the force urgently needs new and robust legislation to stop and search under 16s for blades.
Kennedy said that although police work tirelessly across the country to keep youths safe, current stop and search powers"do not go far enough" to combat knife crime.
"The tragic stabbing of a 16-year-old is yet another stark reminder of the growing threat of youth violence on our streets.
"Police officers across Scotland are working tirelessly to keep the public safe, but we are operating with one hand tied behind our backs. Current stop and search powers do not go far enough to tackle the rise in young people carrying weapons.
"It has become increasingly difficult for police to deal with under 16s due to laws that were introduced to protect children and young people but, in fact, it does the opposite because police are left with their hands tied.
"We have to be able to conduct stop and searches and do that no matter what age they are. As it stands, you need to have reasonable cause to do so and that will be difficult to establish when it comes to youths.
"Youths are getting away with a lot in terms of crime nowadays and we urgently require new, robust legislation that empowers officers to act decisively and prevent violence before it happens.
"The law must evolve to reflect the reality our officers face every day. "
Kennedy echoed the calls of Scotland's former justice secretary Kenny MacAskill who also called for stronger stop and search powers to tackle the issue of youth violence in Scotland.
Speaking on Tuesday, MacAskill said: 'We need to get tough on the small minority of evil intent and support the majority to enjoy their childhoods and their youths.
'If that means bringing in more stop-and-searches, then so be it.
'Scotland has experienced violence like this before. Tragedies were happening and many lives were being ruined as a result of knife crime and youth violence.
'Through tough enforcement, harsh sentencing and targeting and diverting, we made society safer for young people. We need to go back to what we did because we turned the tide. The tide is coming back in and we need to address knife crime again.'
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: 'My heart goes out to the family and friends of Kayden Moy and to any family who has lost a child or loved one in such horrific circumstances. The events of the weekend are tragic.
'We are of course committed to tackling violence and have invested more than £6 million since 2023 in the Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland to help divert people away from violence. This includes the work of YouthLink Scotland who deliver No Knives Better Lives and Medics Against Violence to help educate young people on the dangers of carrying knives.
'I fully recognise that it will be no comfort to any family who has been affected, but knife crime has fallen, with a 69% decrease in emergency hospital admissions due to assault with a sharp object between 2008-09 and 2023-24.
'In relation to stop and search, police officers have the power to carry out stop and search and this is an operational matter for Police Scotland.'
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