Teenage stabbing reignites Ipswich knife crime strategy debate

Why it matters: The incident has highlighted ongoing disagreements between political parties and councillors about how best to address knife crime in Ipswich.

The big picture: A man in his late teens was stabbed in St Stephen's Lane on the night of Saturday, 21st September.

The assault occurred three days after councillors clashed over knife crime strategy at a full council meeting. Both have spoken out following the incident.

What Labour councillors are saying: John Cook, Labour councillor for the Alexandra ward, said: "Sadly, while people continue to carry knives, we will continue to see incidents of this kind both in Ipswich and across the country.

"Ipswich Borough Council is fully engaged in working with partners including Suffolk Police, the County Council, Probation, Youth Justice Team and district councils across Suffolk through the Suffolk Serious Violence Response Strategy to reduce knife crime."

What Conservative councillors are saying: Sam Murray, Conservative councillor for the Castle Hill ward, expressed her frustration: "As a community leader who has been lobbying for a knife crime strategy for Ipswich for 2 years now, I have gone from feeling dismayed to feeling angry.

"How many knife-related incidents does it take before decision-makers accept we need a properly thought out and comprehensive knife crime-specific strategy for Ipswich? This cannot just be our way of life now. I refuse to accept that."

Broader context:

• At a council meeting on 18 September, Cllr Murray had asked Cllr Cook to reconsider his stance and "agree to create and publish a knife crime strategy for Ipswich."

• Cook responded that addressing knife crime through existing partnerships was "the best approach" rather than creating a separate strategy.

Following the meeting, Murray reiterated her frustrations: "We are repeatedly told that knife crime is covered by other "successful strategies."

"I disagree. I do not believe a Suffolk-wide serious violence strategy is enough. I believe for this specific issue, being Suffolk-wide and not knife crime specific is diluting the cause and is underestimating the sheer scale and impact knife crime is having on Ipswich.

"The public need accountability. They need detailed published reports on what the plan is to rid this town of knife crime. We also need to involve the voluntary sector and local businesses."

The bottom line: The recent stabbing has intensified calls from some councillors for a dedicated Ipswich knife crime strategy, while others maintain that existing county-wide measures are sufficient.