Amid the uptick in knife crimes in the UK, actor Idris Elba has come up with a solution that has divided the public. The British actor said the government must consider “innovative” prevention methods, including blunting or banning knives. Mr Elba has spent the last year developing a documentary about solutions to knife crime during which he met families of the victims, police officers and the perpetrators.
“The truth is that kitchen knives are perhaps 25 per cent of the knives used in most of the terrible crimes. That’s one of the stats in the film. And those kitchen knives are usually a domestic situation. So kitchen knives…of course, it’s very difficult. They’re a domestic knife,” said Mr Elba.
“I do think there is areas of innovation that we can do with kitchen knives. I hate to say it. Not all kitchen knives need to have a point on them. That sounds like a crazy thing to say, but actually, it would reduce- you know, you can still cut your food without the point on your knife, which is an innovative way to sort of look at it,” he said. “In a country in crisis, I’m sorry, but yeah, let’s look at that.”
The Thor star also called out social media platforms and said they should take responsibility for their actions.
“When it comes to big tech, there needs to be accountability within their own policies, and their policies need to be educated and driven by what society deems is right or wrong,” he argued.
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Social media reacts
Social media users did not take kindly to Mr Elba’s suggestion with many pointing out that the weapon did not stop an accused from going on slicing sprees.
“Next time he does an action movie, I want him to use a Nerf gun instead of a realistic, looking one,” said one user, while another added: “Maybe all cutlery should be banned and everyone issued with their own spork?”
A third commented: “I don’t think that will solve the problem, sir.”
I don’t think that will solve the problem, sir.
— Dunkie (@DunkieX) January 31, 2025
Knife crime
The knife crime crisis in the UK came into the spotlight yet again after Axel Rudakubana, 18, was sentenced to 52 years in prison after he stabbed three young girls to death and attempted the murder of eight other children and two adults in July last year.
The Labour government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called knife crime a “national crisis”. His administration has pledged to halve knife crime in the next decade. A ban on some knives and machetes came into force in September last year but the spate of stabbings has not stopped.
