Seasonal warning to knife carrying criminals

A prosecution service campaign targeting knife carrying offenders over the seasonal period has been launched by the Lord Advocate, Frank Mulholland QC.

Last year during the festive period the Lord Advocate introduced a zero tolerance knife crime prosecution policy. Anyone caught in possession of a knife in Scotland’s town or city centres would be prosecuted before a Sheriff and jury, resulting in a potential increase from a maximum prison term of one year to four years. For this festive period the Lord Advocate has extended this tougher action to cover any location in the country.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service seasonal campaign, from 1st December 2012 to 4th January 2013, aims to help reduce the number of knife crime related offences and increase the public’s confidence in their personal safety.

The initiative has been introduced following the success of last year’s town and city centre campaign which saw an 18% reduction in the number of knife related cases from the same period the previous year (212 cases down from 257).