Britain has now resorted to printing warnings about the dangers of knife crimes on takeout fried chicken boxes. Unmu...
Britain has now resorted to printing warnings about the dangers of knife crimes on takeout fried chicken boxes.
"Special chicken boxes warning about the dangers of carrying a knife are to be distributed to takeaways across England and Wales by the government," reports Sky News. "More than 320,000 of them — featuring the Home Office #knifefree campaign — will replace the standard packaging in 210 outlets."
We are rolling out our #KnifeFree chicken boxes in over 210 chicken shops in England and Wales, including Morley’s, Dixy Chicken and Chicken Cottage. They use real life stories to show people how they can go #KnifeFree.
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The boxes feature true stories of young people who either fell victim to knife crime or escaped it. The boxes will be distributed at partnering chicken shops Morley's, Chicken Cottage, and Dixy Chicken. Participating shops may also feature screens displaying #Knifefree messages. Earlier this year, Morley's distributed 20,000 #Knifefree chicken boxes across 15 branches.
"We want to promote being knife free by using custom chicken boxes to deliver the message and start conversations amongst all of our customers," Morley's managing director Shan Selvendran said of the campaign.
Policing minister Kit Malthouse hoped that the boxes will illustrate the "tragic consequences" of carrying a knife while challenging the "the idea that it makes you safer".
"The government is doing everything it can to tackle the senseless violence that is traumatizing communities and claiming too many young lives, including bolstering the police's ranks with 20,000 new police officers on our streets," said Malthouse.
The #Knifefree campaign has largely prompted mockery on social media, with even some government figures denouncing it. Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott called it a "crude, offensive and probably expensive campaign."
"Is this some kind of joke?! Why have you chosen chicken shops? What's next, #KnifeFree watermelons?" MP David Lammy said on Twitter.
"Honest to god if the best idea you have to tackle knife crime is to write stuff on fried chicken you should quit power forever in embarrassment, not tweet it out proudly like you’ve just solved world hunger you ridiculous sack of used d****," said one Twitter user.
"Cutting funding to youth services and then sticking anti-crime messages on chicken shop boxes is some next level gaslighting and racism #knifefree tell the tories to go knife free when they're about to devastate entire communities with funding cuts," said another.
Britain has increasingly sought to curtail violent knife crime throughout the country. In London, for instance, Mayor Sadiq Khan had to implement "knife control" measures to combat the rise in crime rates.
"An epidemic of stabbings and acid attacks in London has gotten so bad that London mayor Sadiq Khan is announcing broad new 'knife control' policies designed to keep these weapons of war out of the hands of Londoners looking to cause others harm," reported The Daily Wire's Emily Zanotti in April of last year. "The 'tough, immediate' measures involve an incredible police crackdown, a ban on home deliveries of knives and acid, and expanding law enforcement stop-and-search powers so that police may stop anyone they believe to be a threat, or planning a knife or acid attack."
The crackdown on knife crime has even led to instances in which the police have confiscated basic tools such as screwdrivers and scissors from citizens during so-called "weapons sweeps."
These items were found during a #weaponSweep near #MackworthHouse #AugustasSt during #OpSceptre . Safely disposed and taken off the streets
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