Bristol has become a hotspot for knife crime, with masked thugs taunting police with large blades. An investigation by the Daily Star Sunday has discovered that gangs are frequently arming themselves with knives in an ‘unprecedented’ crime wave in the city after statistics revealed the number of young people carrying knives has surged over the past year, with one picture revealing a masked thug mocking police online as he held a huge monster blade.
Gun crimes and gang robberies have also increased. Police now have the authority to search children as young as 10 in an effort to curb a string of violent incidents that resulted in the deaths of three teenagers within a month. From April to September 2023, Avon and Somerset police made 294 arrests for knife possession, up from 213 during the same period the previous year.
In Bristol, following the deaths of three teenagers, police have been granted enhanced stop and search powers. These powers were granted after the fatal stabbings of Darrian Williams, 16, in Easton on February 14, and Max Dixon, 16, and Mason Rist, 15, both in Knowles West on January 27, the Daily Star reports.
Last June, Mike Runyon, 16, was fatally stabbed in the neck with a large ‘zombie knife’ at a house party in Bath. Three 16-year-olds are currently on trial accused of Mikey’s murder.
Between 15 and 17 February, Avon and Somerset Police stopped 33 people, found no weapons and discovered two people in possession of cannabis.
Supt Mark Runacres has said he’s never seen so many “dreadful incidents” in such a short time.
He also mentioned that the types of weapons used in crimes have changed a lot.
He said: “Around 10 years ago stabbings that were being reported to us would have involved people using a kitchen knife, but offences recently have seen the use of machetes and large knives referred to as zombie knives.”
A gang insider said: “Kids carry blades all the time now because if they don’t they’ll be juiced (stabbed) themselves. There’s stashes all over Bristol. In cemeteries, parks, woods.”
The source added that because police are searching more, kids hide their knives in places they can get to them fast. They said: “And they’re easy to get hold of. You can buy zombies or rambos from survival sites and they ship them over from China or the US no questions asked.”
Even though some people want to ban zombie knives, the head of a school in Bristol thinks it won’t stop knife crime.
The Rev Steve Chalke, who runs Oasis academies, said: “Halving knife crime will not be achieved by banning machetes or banning zombie knives.”
He believes you can hurt someone with anything, even a knitting needle or screwdriver. He said: “You’ve got to deal with the anger, the fire, the rage, the angst, the trauma inside the person. Of course we should ban these knives being sold if we can, but it will not deal with the issue.”
Two 15 year old boys have been accused of the murder of Darrian Williams and carrying a knife in public, while five individuals have been charged in connection with the murders of Mason Rist and Max Dixon.
