Breaking the cycle of offending and early intervention are critical to reducing teenage knife crime, council leaders have warned. Local government leaders joined campaigners with calls for a joined-up solution after a series of knife deaths involving young people. Concern is also mounting among Whitehall officials who admit that although it has become a ‘hot' media issue, they have been surprised by the rapid increase in attacks which goes against the trend of falling crime figures. A CLG insider told The MJ: ‘Something clearly is happening to cause an increase in these dreadful attacks. We need to ensure our response gets to the cause.' It followed by a call by prime minister Gordon Brown for councils to tackle up 110,000 problem families as part of his fightback with a greater use of powers such as parenting supervision orders and home evictions. Former head of the prison service, Martin Narey, now chief executive of Barnardo's, called for a response which focused on rehabilitation. An LGA spokesman said: ‘Tough enforcement is important but unless young people in the criminal justice system are helped, we won't break the cycle of offending.'
