Derby councillor 'strongly disagrees knife crime is running rampant'
Earlier this year it was reported there had been five stabbings in Derby within 12 days. The alarming spree of incidents prompted Derbyshire police to issue a statement to reassure residents and stated that the help of the public was needed to tackle knife crime.
But Councillor Onuoha said at the meeting his disagreement was not to deny there had been violence in the city. He said he disagreed with letting violent offenders 'determine the brand of our city'.
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Prior to the meeting, Councillor Jamie Mulhall asked the Labour councillor in writing: 'With knife crime running rampant and unchecked across our city, can the cabinet member inform me what proactive measures they are taking to whip the scourge of knife crime from our city?'
The opening line of Councillor Onuoha's written response said: 'We strongly disagree that knife crime is running rampant and unchecked across our city.'
Councillor Mulhall reacted angrily to the opening part of the answer given. In a shouty response he said: 'Knife crime is personal to me. The cabinet member in his answer said 'we strongly disagree that knife crime is running rampant and unchecked in our city'.
'Earlier this year we had five stabbings in 12 days. Five stabbings in 12 days. So I ask you, councillor, who is to blame for failing to protect the citizens of our city? Is it you? Is it the Labour police and crime commissioner? Is it the chief Constable or is all of the above?'
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Councillor Onuoha responded by saying: 'We've had five stabbings in 12 days, that is horrendous. But I don't think we should then make that into a campaign of 'oh look here's who to blame'.
'The first issue we should address is people for whatever reason feel they can go out into the city and express their emotions through violence. My disagreement is not to deny that there's been violence in the city. My disagreement is that we let five/six people determine the brand of our city. We should not do that and we will never do that.'
At the start of the meeting council leader Nadine Peatfield said she was working with the police to introduce a knife amnesty bin in the Council House reception. She said this would be 'a safe space with security, where hopefully, people wishing to hand over a weapon, won't be intimidated out of doing so by having to enter a police station'.
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