Scotland is facing a Public Health Emergency—but there is no dedicated Knife Crime Bill currently progressing through the Scottish Parliament.

Despite a sharp rise in violent incidents involving young people, including the murder of 16-year-old Kayden Moy in East Kilbride and the deaths of Amen Teklay, Kory McCrimmon, and others in Glasgow and Ayrshire, Holyrood remains largely silent on legislative reform.

A National Crisis with No National Legislation

In East Kilbride, Glasgow, and towns across Scotland, communities are burying children. Police are recovering knives from school bags and bus stops. Families are living in fear. Yet, while Members of the Scottish Parliament have acknowledged the problem in speeches and statements, no formal Bill has been introduced to treat knife crime with the urgency it demands.

What Could a Knife Crime Bill Do?

Campaigners and experts agree that a dedicated Knife Crime Bill could:
– Expand stop and search powers in a regulated, accountable way
– Mandate educational and rehabilitation programmes for offenders
– Create statutory duties for schools and health professionals to report at-risk individuals
– Introduce a national strategy for youth violence prevention
– Enable early intervention through social services, not just policing

What’s Stopping It?

The reasons are political, procedural and possibly ideological:
– Knife crime is often seen as a policing issue, not a legislative one
– Previous attempts at criminal justice reform have been controversial
– There may be reluctance to expand police powers
– Public health models for violence prevention, though proven, remain underfunded and underused

Is the Government Waiting Too Long?

Each delay costs lives. Each silence emboldens the idea that nothing can—or will—change. As campaigners, we believe Scotland cannot afford to wait any longer for a dedicated legislative response to this crisis.

Time to Treat This as a Public Health Emergency

We are urging the First Minister of Scotland to declare knife crime a Public Health Emergency under the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008. This legal move would:
– Trigger coordinated action across justice, health, education, and social care
– Direct funding to early intervention, trauma services, and community-led prevention
– Empower public health officials to take the lead in violence prevention
– Send a message that young lives matter—and that protecting them is a national priority

We Need a Bill. We Need Leadership. We Need Action.

The Scottish Government has the power to act. The First Minister has the tools. What’s missing is the political will to lead on this issue with the urgency it deserves.

We Want to Hear From You

Are you a parent, carer, guardian or young person? Are you a teacher, support worker, or frontline responder? We want to hear your views.

– Should there be a Knife Crime Bill?
– Would you support a knife amnesty?
– Should knife crime be treated as a public health emergency?
– What’s missing from the national conversation?

Do you believe stronger legal measures are the answer? What do you think needs to change to keep our young people safe? Are there better ways to tackle the root causes of violence in our communities?

How to Contact Us –

Email us at: ek@thecommunityimpact.co.uk
Message us on social media
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Your voice matters. Let’s demand the leadership our community deserves.
Let’s push for action. Let’s protect lives.
Together, we can build a safer Scotland.