Clamping down on knives, guns and gangs: Home Secretary announces new measures on violent crime.

Labour’s Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, has outlined new action to tackle violent crime. Speaking in Birmingham today, she gave details of a number of new initiatives to further address the types of crimes which can devastate families, communities and neighbourhoods.

Today’s announcement included:

· £5 million to tackle violent crime with new action on knives in known hotspots across the country.

· The targeted hotspots will see joint working with the police to introduce more knife search arches, an increased use of targeted stop and search, work with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that those carrying knives are prosecuted, and support for community projects like Be Safe to show young people the risks and consequences of carrying a knife.

· A pledge of further support for four areas spearheading work to tackle gun crime and serious violence.

· A new good practice guide for local agencies to help them tackle gang-related crime across all communities.

· Details of the forthcoming knife marketing campaign which will include adverts in women's weekly magazines encouraging mums to talk about knives with their children.

· The Department for Children, Schools and Families today also launched guidance for schools on how to reduce the risks of gang related problems and how to deal with any incidents that do occur, with the help of external partners.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:

"I set up the Tackling Gangs Action Programme last September because I was convinced that by focusing our activities on local hotspots, we could make progress on an area of crime that devastates families, communities and neighbourhoods.

"I want to go further and we will be taking forward work to provide witnesses with early certainty that their identity will be protected and that they can give evidence safely; stopping guns from coming into the country and providing safe housing and education opportunities for young people leaving gangs.

"These early findings are encouraging, which is why I want to spread this approach to knife crime and build on what works. I'm determined that we do all we can to get all weapons off our streets and investing £5m today to target knife hotspots across the country. I hope communities will welcome the increased use of knife arches and stop and search to protect their young people."

Protecting the safety of the British people is paramount for any government. Labour is firmly on the side of communities where people have had enough and there will be no escape for persistent offenders.

While Labour takes the tough and necessary measures to combat crime and anti-social behaviour the Tories offer only slick salesmanship. David Cameron's hug-a-hoodie approach will not protect law-abiding families. David Cameron has repeatedly said that the solution is to show 'more love' to young louts while his Tory Party have continually voted against Labour’s measures to tackle crime such as tougher sentences for murder, sexual and violent offences and five year mandatory sentences for carrying illegal guns.