# Prevention of Crime Act 1953

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prevention-of-crime-act-1953/664176>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [July 22, 2013, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prevention-of-crime-act-1953/664176 "2013-07-22T07:51:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Longshanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Longshanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Longshanks)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prevention-of-crime-act-1953/664176/1 "2013-07-22T07:51:34Z")

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This act was passed to try and curb violent crime in the UK by restricting a citizen from carrying an **offensive weapon** , but because of the ridiculous ambiguity of it basically anything can be considered offensive. Do you think its right for a kubotan (a plastic stick that people have as a keyring, used to stabilized the fist when punching) to be outlawed, I mean come on its ridiculous the sort of restrictions we have in the UK all in the name of public safety.

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**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prevention-of-crime-act-1953/664176/2 "2013-07-22T08:14:03Z")

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> [@](#):
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> Spiked Kubotan are now specifically listed as offensive weapons on the British government’s crime prevention website. Whether a non-spiked kubotan (i.e. a rod) is classed as an offensive weapon in the UK depends upon the circumstances of the case and can be for a jury to decide.

From the [Wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kubotan) page. Offhand, I’d say that a spike used to puncture people certainly qualifies as a weapon.

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**Author:** ![Longshanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Longshanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Longshanks)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prevention-of-crime-act-1953/664176/3 "2013-07-22T08:43:01Z")

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For the most part a kubotan is just a miniature baton but obviously there can be exceptions to the rule.

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**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prevention-of-crime-act-1953/664176/4 "2013-07-22T11:10:24Z")

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Seems like a quite lethal weapon to me, I can easily see why it’s restricted. Then and now.

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**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prevention-of-crime-act-1953/664176/5 "2013-07-22T13:52:31Z")

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In 1950 the crime rate in Britain was 1,053 crimes for 100,000 people. Fifty years later it was 10,537 per 100,000 people in 2004. That is almost precisely 10 times higher. The 1953 Prevention of Crime Act does not appear to have prevented crime.

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prevention-of-crime-act-1953/664176/6 "2013-07-22T14:09:14Z")

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Have reporting standards changed in fifty years? I daresay that could be significant.

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**Author:** ![Longshanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Longshanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Longshanks)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prevention-of-crime-act-1953/664176/7 "2013-07-22T14:40:16Z")

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It may not have prevented crime but the fact remains that by law a person carrying an ‘offensive weapon’ (and here is where I have a problem) can be punished by up to 2 years imprisonment.

Due to the ambiguity of the act near enough anything can be considered an offensive weapon as long as you seem to have nefarious purposes even if it is a stick for example.