Rise in knife crime in Britain

The big talking point in the UK lately is the surge in fatal knife attacks, particularly in England, and how knife crime is going to be dealt with. The latest news report is that the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, has said that, Members of the public should intervene if they see a crime being committed. (link via itn.co.uk) Is she serious?! Somehow, I don't think members of the public appreciate this latest suggestion, which seems very foolhardy and risky, especially following this recent report: A police officer was kicked, beaten and bitten when he was attacked by a gang of schoolchildren, some wearing uniform, when he asked a girl to pick up litter she had dropped. (link via independent.co.uk) If the police are getting attacked by schoolchildren, what hope does a member of the public have? The Government keeps coming up with crazy and desperate ideas about how to deal with knife crime such as the suggestion to shame the criminals by marching them to casualty units to confront their stab victims. Yeah, right - as if being attacked isn't bad enough, you might be confronted by your attacker in the hospital too! The public reaction was swift and furious at the very idea and after outrage among doctors, patients, crime experts and MPs, the government tried to backtrack and claim they never suggested it, even though Home Secretary Jacqui Smith had been heard voicing the idea in broadcast interviews.