Met police say they cannot ‘magic officers out of thin air’ to deal with rise in stabbings

Theresa May has dismissed claims that an increase in police numbers will help solve knife crime, insisting there is “no direct correlation” between the two.

Speaking after a spate of knife violence, the prime minister said she would tackle the root causes of the crisis. However, as police officers and politicians called for more help to deal with the problem, May said it was not a question of resources.

There was “no direct correlation between certain crimes and police numbers”, the former home secretary said. “What matters is how we ensure that police are responding to these criminal acts when they take place, that people are brought to justice.”

However, the home secretary, Sajid Javid, responding to an urgent question in the House of Commons on Monday, said police must be given the resources to tackle violence.

Javid, who will chair a meeting of police chiefs on Wednesday to discuss the issue, said he would launch a consultation on making the fight against violent crime a statutory public health duty, urging all parts of the public sector to prioritise it.

May’s remarks will frustrate critics who say cuts to police and youth services are a key factor in knife crime. The Metropolitan police said they could not “magic officers out of thin air” to tackle the problem.

In a thinly veiled plea for more resources, the deputy assistant commissioner Graham McNulty pointed out police shifts have had to be extended after a series of knife attacks, including the killing of Jodie Chesney, 17, on Friday.

That attack was followed by the fatal stabbing of Yousef Makki, also 17, in Greater Manchester, and a rash of warnings that knife violence was out of control. Figures released by Channel 4’s Dispatches on Monday revealed there had been a 93% rise in hospital admissions for knife attacks on under-16s since 2012.

On Monday, Yousef’s family described him as “a loving and caring son and brother” who meant the world to them.

“He was a sporty young man, a dedicated student and so bright. He had everything to look forward to,” they said. “We are absolutely devastated and cannot believe that our son has gone.”

They said his death had affected the whole community. “Yousef had only phoned home hours earlier to say that he would be home for his tea, but the next knock at the door were officers with the tragic news; it is every parent’s worst nightmare,” his family added.

Appealing for anyone with information about the attack to contact the police, they said: “Only recently, had we talked about his promising life ahead of him and how he was looking forward to life. He was a promising student and loved by everyone.”

His school also paid tribute to a “dearly loved young man and incredibly bright pupil” who was studying four A-levels and wanted to pursue a career in medicine.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Yousef Makki. Photograph: Handout/Greater Manchester police

“It is impossible to make sense of such a senseless act, which has taken away a proud family’s son, a dear friend and a young man of such promise,” said Dr Martin Boulton, the high master of Manchester grammar school.

“There has been an outpouring of grief at school at this tragic loss. The thoughts of the whole school community are with Yousef’s family.” He requested privacy for the teenager’s family and friends.

McNulty said: “Tackling violent crime remains the Met’s top priority and we have been working day and night to make progress.

“In advance of the weekend just past, we had arranged for more officers from our violent crime taskforce to be on duty and we have extended their shifts to raise visibility across London.

“Officers from the homicide teams are working around the clock to bring justice to families and to protect our communities.”

Asked if extending the shifts of existing officers was the solution, McNulty said: “I can’t magic officers out of thin air, but we are lucky that we have got officers who are professional and committed and want to make a difference at the moment. And they are working incredibly hard in difficult circumstances.”

He claimed the increased police presence had made a difference and allowed officers to conduct 2,500 stop-and-searches in the past three days alone.

The Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, echoed the call to put more officers on the streets. Earlier this year, he announced plans to generate £18m from council tax to fund 320 new police recruits, including 220 neighbourhood officers.

About 80% of police funding comes from a central government grant. The government has cut this by £250m since 2010, resulting in the loss of 2,000 police officers and 1,000 non-police staff, according to Greater Manchester police.

May, however, said a cross-government approach was needed. “It’s not just about the police; it’s about the whole of government and it’s the whole of government that’s responding,” the prime minister added.

She said much of the violence was gang or drugs related: “There are a wide variety of issues that need to be addressed here and that’s what the government is doing.”

Burnham said parents also had a responsibility to ensure their children were not carrying knives. “Do we all know when our kids are going out, where they are going, who they are meeting and what they are carrying? A lot of this does start in the home,” he added.

He advocated an increase in stop-and-search after the killing of Yousef.

Detectives believe the attack was not gang related and continue to question two 17-year-old boys on suspicion of murder. Yousef, who lived in Burnage, south Manchester, was the first teenager to be stabbed to death in Greater Manchester this year, police said.