Thursday 18 October 2007

Ex-sprinter calls for 'Suss' laws to be brought back

Former Olympic hero John Regis has called for ‘suss’ laws to be brought back, following the death of his 15-year-old nephew Adam in Plaistow.

The ‘suss’ laws allow police to stop and search anyone they think may be carrying a weapon. Regis told London Tonight that tougher sentences shoule be metted to teenage thugs who carry guns and knives.

I lived in Plaistow for a while and while it’s a place with great vibe, it can be dangerous.

Regis also said: “That’s the only way that the message will be sent across the face of Great Britain that if a kid has a knife...the only time you should have a knife is if you’re in the house cutting a slice of bread,” he said.

I recall going to a Stop da Violence concert in plaistow around July. Stop da Violence is an initiative by the Arc Church in Forestgate to encourage young people to stop violence.

Hundreds of young people attended the show. Adam Regis’s mom was there and, in a hearbreaking appeal, called on the youth to co-operate with the police.

For a black man to call for the ‘suss’ laws to be brought back is an intersting development because at times members of the black community have slammed stop and search laws, saying the police deliberately target black men.

The violence has got to stop. Full stop.

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