He urged that a `presumption to prosecute' in cases of knife crime is applied more widely. Currently, it is only applied in hot-spots and then only among over-18s.
Mr Brown said: "We have got to make sure if a young person is carrying a knife, there is a message they will end up in court. They are putting other children and young people at risk."
He held a meeting about knife crime with Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, Sussex chief constable Ken Jones, who is the president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, and Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir Ken Macdonald, among others.
Ms Smith said: "We have doubled the maximum sentence for carrying a knife to four years, launched a new national £3m advertising campaign to challenge the fear, glamour or peer pressure that can drive young people to knife crime, increased the use of stop and search by police, improved witness anonymity and extended knife referral schemes so that young people convicted of carrying a knife receive education on the dangers and risks."
Besides ending cautions for over-16s carrying knives, the Home Office says police in areas badly hit by knife crime will receive a total of £5m to help fund greater use of searches, while young people caught with knives will be sent on courses and there will be home visits and letters to parents.
Mr Jones said: "The individual officer will use their discretion but the point at which they now would consider this individual has no previous conviction, there are no aggravating factors, that he or she might be subject to a caution, we are saying no - that is now removed."
He said it was important to `get a sense of proportion' about the scale of the problem, but added: "There is a problem, which is why we support this move. We are not out to criminalise young people who have a good reason for being in possession of a knife, but frankly what good reasons would a youngster have to carry even a pen knife?"
Professor Rod Morgan, former chairman of the youth justice board, dismissed the move as a political gimmick. He said: "There is no real good sense in suggesting that the guideline be changed."
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why bother increasing the jail term - the jails are full. Take a ticket and stand in line?
what about the 12 and 13 year olds that go round stamping on people's heads until they are dead?
He is warning youths who carry knives is he, well what happened to the get tough policy that is already in place where they will get a 4 years in jail, (2 really) when they carry knives, how many have actually even received a custodial sentence, not many. The problem is not only the goverment but the courts who continually let off these morons with comunity service so I will not hold me breath on this paln either.
And where is he putting them? In a B&B with ensuite facilities, PS3, Sky TV, gym and meal service?
more waffle from mcbroon get some good judiciary instead of more social workers who dont have a clue
This is the top and bottom of it in a national daily they show a picture of our MPs sat in the commons debating about the knife culture, how many MPs in the picture 13 and nothing but empty seats.
This is a serious issue and our MPs are treating it like a joke they can’t even be bothered to turn up for something that concerns the nation, what sort of message does this send out to the would be knifers.
MEN you want to get this photo and show your readership and find out which of our MPs were not there and shame them for not taking this serious.
Just voted on the poll on knife crime who on earth is the 4 per cent that have voted NO? this 4 per cent have a serious problem. I’ll tell you what why don’t they come on here and justify their vote.
It's obviously that the current punishment of sending certain youths to prison isn't working, especially when it isn't necessarily 'unpleasant' inside.
Hit them where it hurts, the pocket.
Big fines to pay, if benefits are claimed...stop them.
Maybe parents will pay more attention to what their little darlings are getting up to...
brown warns knife thugs yet only 12 mp's discuse it in parliment what a bloody joke
Come on you 4 per cent people 24 hours and still silent, says it all.
MEN I think you can re-adjust that poll to 100 per cent.