New powers and targets aim to put knife crime suspects in front of judges three times quicker.
The Conservatives have promised to introduce new measures aimed at tackling knife crime in England and Wales.
The proposals include:
- Immediate arrest for carrying a knife; charged within 24 hours and court appearance within a week
- Stronger stop and search powers
- £35 million for violence reduction units
The speeding up of the judicial process aims to be three times faster than the current average time.
As part of the stop and search reforms, new Serious Violence Reduction Orders will be introduced. The orders will allow police to search habitual knife carriers without suspicion. The orders could also be used against acid and gun carriers.
The Conservatives have already promised to recruit 20,000 new police officers.
