CUTS to youth services have not helped the authorities tackle knife crime, Wiltshire's police and crime commissioner has said.
Angus Macpherson said dealing with knife violence was part of the police's daily business, with searches and educational work carried out be officers.
Writing on his blog, the police chief welcomed the Wiltshire force's participation in Op Sceptre, a national campaign aimed at countering knife crime.
However, he said Whitehall cuts to services are unlikely to have helped front-line officers.
"Let's not ignore the fact that cuts in youth services by government over the past few years have not helped the situation we have today," he said.
"Fewer support services will inevitably lead to fewer problems being tackled at the root and more troubled youngsters being missed until they catch the police's eye."
He said the police, councils and others should take a holistic approach, citing how knife crime had been treated in Scotland as a public health issue.
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