Cllr Jim MacLeod - Training Knife Crime
Last month I was back at college, though on this occasion only for the Knife crime blights our local communities; it ruins lives
night while the Inverclyde Initiative was on. and causes untold pain and suffering.
The police led Initiative, also assisted with partners from the council, fire I am giving my whole hearted support in backing calls
and rescue service, college and others, has now been run over several to introduce mandatory minimum sentences for knife
weekends and is aimed at showing young people that there are positive criminals.
pursuits to do other than stand on the street late at night.
During February Scottish Labour formally lodged
To date the Initiative has been very successful at pointing a great many an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill after my
young people towards various clubs and organisations in the area. The party’s ‘Carry a Knife - Go to Jail’ campaign was supported by almost
Friday night I attended the Initiative showed me just how well the project 30,000 Scots. The amendment - if passed - will ensure that anyone found
is running and the positive effect it is having for the young people and guilty of carrying a knife would get a mandatory minimum sentence of
our communities as well as affording me the opportunity to speak to the at least six months but judges could jail knife criminals up to a four year
various organisations that had displays on the evening. I have also been maximum.
told that the local Initiative is doing so well that other areas in the UK
As the amendment
are looking at it for their own areas.
was launched, I was
The picture below was taken on the evening of the recent local Inverclyde pleased to meet up
Initiative to go along the piece re the Initiative, and shows me with with my constituent
Hugh Scott from Inverclyde Council, local police officers and fire service Kelly McGee and her
officer. mother (Lochwinnoch),
whose brother was
tragically murdered
last year. Kelly has put
in a fantastic effort
gathering thousands of
signatures on her own
anti knife crime petition locally. We are both in agreement that if you
carry a knife you should go to jail.
However, we must also commit to improving education around violence
and knife crime. It is always better if people don’t carry a weapon in the
first place and there needs to be a sustained effort on educating people
about the effects of knife crime has on communities in Renfrewshire and
Inverclyde. People must be made to think twice about picking up a blade
in the first place.
There needs to be a consistent approach and a certainty that unless
there are exceptional circumstances those who walk the streets of
Renfrewshire and Inverclyde carrying a knife will face a prison sentence.
It is time for politicians to stop talking tough on knife crime and get
tough. This is the time to act.
Local people have had enough of knife crime and other parties will now
be judged on how they react to Labour’s proposal. I would be pleased
to hear your views on this proposal, please e mail trish.godman.msp@
scottish.parliament.uk or call 01505 615 337.
Mercy Ships
Surgeries in March: – Friday 12th: 4.30pm in Bargarran Community
4 years ago, I went on a short term ‘Mission Challenge’
Centre, Erskine; Friday 19th: 3.30pm in Kilmacolm Community Centre
experience to Sierra Leone, West Africa. There, I saw
and 4.15pm in Port Glasgow Library; Friday 26th: 4.30pm in the Old Farm
first hand the sterling medical work being carried out
House Community Centre, Erskine. Please remember that if these times
by ‘Mercy Ships’. Since then, I have learned much about that organisation
or locations are not suitable alternative arrangements can be made by
which, since 1978, has been bringing hope and healing to some of the
contacting my constituency office.
world’s poorest people.
Now a registered speaker for Mercy Ships, I do my best to spread
awareness of the work and also raise much needed funding. I would be
pleased to come and speak to any interested group and show, by means
of PowerPoint presentation, some of the work currently being done. I
raise some funds myself by delivering approximately 400 copies of The
Advertizer each month. To find out more information about Mercy Ships,
visit the website at www.mercyships.org
Reported
by Helen
Dunbar,
Quarriers
Village
38 MARCH 2010 | send your GARDEN ARTICLES & PHOTOS to info@advertizer.co.uk www.advertizer.co.uk| 01505 874385 | www.theadvertizer.co.uk
186_MAR10_40-43 GARDEN.ind.indd 38 19/02/2010 12:46:38
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