UK Police Begin Replacing Victims' Own Kitchen Knives with Blunted Versions
Law enforcement officials in Nottinghamshire, England, are exploring a new initiative that will replace sharp knives in the homes of domestic violence victims with blunt utensils, according to the British media company ITV.
“We are trialling it to see if it makes a difference. Sometimes you have to trial things to see if they work,” said Superintendent Matt McFarlane, the head of the new “blunt-knife” strategy, ITV reported. “Anything that stops someone being seriously injured is a good idea.”
While this story sounds like something that might be published by The Onion — a popular satire news site — unfortunately, in this case, it’s not a joke.
Police say “This is a very small scale trial, which we will assess at the end of the year. It is only one small part of the whole range of what is done to safeguard and protect domestic abuse survivors”. More here: https://t.co/Nzzetda9nM pic.twitter.com/M1bLJBLYmN
— ITV News Central (@ITVCentral) June 13, 2019
Does the police department in Nottinghamshire genuinely believe that abusers only use sharp knives to attack their partners? A basic understanding of a domestic abuser — who will essentially use anything as a weapon — would rule out this nutty plan on day one.
Or, as psychologist and victims advocate Jessica Eaton told The New York Times in an interview about the “blunt knives” initiative:
“The risk comes from the offender, not the knife,” she said. “We know that blunt trauma can cause death. Just because a knife has been blunted doesn’t mean that it won’t pierce the skin or kill someone.”
Currently, according to ITV, about 100 “no-point” knives have been made available for those who’ve been threatened or attacked by an abuser wielding a blade.
Those who received the blunted knives “need to agree to have their knives replaced,” ITV reported.
“We do see a fair amount of knife-related incidents in domestic abuse not just on the streets. This is a measure we need to take. We want to reduce that risk. It is a trial,” McFarlane stated, according to ITV. ”We have about a 100 of them — and we have so far given out about 50.
“The knife is blunt at the end — but still functions as a knife — so you can’t stab someone. They may stay together for children, get back together, or might get back together when they are out of prison,” the superintendent concluded.
Domestic violence is not a funny subject — it never has been and never will be.
However, Nottinghamshire’s attempt to decrease domestic violence incidents with this new method is downright silly.
Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping thinks the new plan is a marvelous idea.
“Having safer implements in the home can reduce injuries and save lives,” Tipping said. “It is an excellent initiative. Some research shows that women are attacked around 19 times before they leave their home.”
There are so many things these police officers can do to help victims of domestic abuse, but the way they’re going about it with this plan is like slapping a tiny Band-Aid on a wound that needs surgery.
For example, law enforcement leadership can lobby local government for stronger punishments for violent domestic abusers. New laws can be created to further deter domestic abuse.
Law enforcement could also beef up efforts in coordinating a safe and separate living situation between couples who’ve been engaged in domestic abuse experience.
If there are kids involved, as there oftentimes are, child protection services can be utilized to help ensure the children are safe so that they don’t witness one parent attempting to murder the other.
But instead, it appears as if Nottinghamshire took the path of least resistance on an issue that requires much more attention, which is something governments often do.
This entire “initiative” is, *drumroll* pointless.
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