Tougher Sentences Needed for Knife Crime, Says Police Chief
Police to Crack Down on Weapon Carriers
Police forces must get tough on anyone caught carrying a weapon, says Rich. He demands courts hand down the maximum sentences possible to deter offenders.
Liberal Policies Blamed for Rising Knife Crime
Speaking on TalkTV, Rich blasted a decade of “messing around” with leniency towards young offenders. He slammed policies that avoid criminalising kids, saying:
“We’ve gone through a phase where we have caught kids with knives but they haven’t been arrested because there are policies in place and people in the system with a very liberal mindset and that is causing a big problem.”
Court Leniency Sparks Police Frustration
Rich revealed many officers are fed up with weak sentencing. Repeat offenders often dodge jail, thanks to courts claiming it’s “in the interests of justice.”
“There are supposed to be rules to make sure they are sent away and they are not getting sent away because somehow the courts are finding a way ‘in the interests of justice’ not to do so,” he said. “That’s got to stop.”
Judges and Lawyers Out of Touch, Says Insider
Having spent time in the courts, Rich accused the legal system of being disconnected from reality:
“I just think a lot of judges and lawyers 1 on another planet. Perhaps I am generalising but I don’t see that they experience the real world.”
