Britain’s knife crime crisis is regularly called a “pandemic” in the media. But just how serious is the problem?  Who suffers from it most? And does any political party have the right idea of how to combat it? To answer these questions, Andrew Harrison speaks to Dr James Alexander of London Metropolitan University’s criminology department.

• “Knife crime is reported as a black issue, which is a problem with the media. It is more widespread than that, it is about poverty, it is about these people not receiving the support they need, regardless of their ethnicity.” – Dr James Alexander

• "People are growing up in areas where knife crime is just a fact of life. They are desensitised to the idea of carrying a knife.” – Dr James Alexander

• “The criminals they are often targeting are 14, 15, 16 year olds – they are children who need support to get back into education, and support for mental health issues." – Dr James Alexander

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Written and Presented by Andrew Harrison. Produced by: Eliza Davis Beard. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

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