The latter. After a "scourge" of knife crime that reached the level of almost one death a week (mostly gang-related) the city cracked down on knife crimes and

The latter. After a "scourge" of knife crime that reached the level of almost one death a week (mostly gang-related) the city cracked down on knife crimes and arrests for possession of same. This is the substitution that carries with it a slight bit of anti-immigrant dog whistle given some previous high-profile cases of acid attacks being used in "honour" crimes against women.