New York's Village Voice Paper Slams 60,000 Gravity Knife Prosecutions

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New York City's Village Voice Newspaper Slams
City's 60,000 Gravity Knife Prosecutions

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New York City's The Village Voice newspaper has published a front-page article, "Blade Stunner," slamming the City's persecution of knife owners. Journalist Jon Campbell's in-depth research provides an informative historical perspective. Following the travails of some citizens caught up in this absurd enforcement, his gripping narrative also personalizes the unfortunate and serious impact the City's irrational and unconstitutional enforcement has had on citizens arrested and prosecuted for simply carrying a common folding knife.

One of the most shocking revelations in this article confirms Knife Rights' longstanding position that tens of thousands of citizens have been victimized by the City's outrageous enforcement practices. In the first estimate by an independent organization it reports that, "Village Voice analysis of data from several sources suggests there have been as many as 60,000 gravity-knife prosecutions over the past decade, and that the rate has more than doubled in that time. If those estimates are correct, it's enough to place gravity-knife offenses among the top 10 most prosecuted crimes in New York City."

Click here to read the complete "Blade Stunner" article.

Author Jon Campbell also has a short and somewhat humorous, if pointed, companion piece, which makes good reading as well, "On Switchblades, 'Cheap Dime Store Hoods' and That Wet End, Lachance"​

While the Blade Stunner article notes that the unjust enforcement of the '50s-era New York knife law has landed thousands in jail and "brought Right and Left together" opposing it, the article also details why legislative solutions have gone nowhere. Unfortunately, Knife Rights' Federal civil rights lawsuit seems like the only solution in the near term, absent some change of heart in Albany.

Knife Rights' fight to stop the persecution of knife owners in New York City and to prevent this from spreading to other cities will continue. Click here to read the latest news on Knife Rights' Federal civil rights lawsuit against New York City and District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr.

Please support this lawsuit with a tax-deductible charitable contribution to the Knife Rights Foundation.

WARNING: New York City has interpreted the state law against gravity knives such that if an officer can "wrist flick" the knife blade open, or alleges that the knife might be able to be opened in such a manner, and the knife blade locks open, that knife is an illegal gravity knife. NYC takes this position even if it requires multiple tries and use of exaggerated arm thrust or motion. Using this interpretation, most any lockblade knife might be deemed an illegal gravity knife.

Note also that New York City administrative code has an under-4-inch length limit and requires knives be carried concealed. Knife Rights recommends that you never carry your knife clipped to your pocket in New York City. Even when covered by a jacket, simply moving the jacket aside to get to a wallet has been enough to get folks arrested. Always ensure your knife is completely concealed at all times, including not "printing" on the outside of your clothing. In addition, be extremely circumspect about using a knife for any purpose in a public setting.
 
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Great article! It really is a shame that so many innocent people have been arrested for a law they did not know existed (and should be amended). I know that anytime I go to the city, I always have a small slipjoint in my pocket and never a knife or even a multitool clipped on my pocket. Keep up the great work!
 
Outstanding article. Thank you
 
What a ridiculous waste of resources.


So, I guess smachetes are a no-go then? ;)
 
Thanks for the article! As a member of the stagehands union mentioned in the article, I can confirm we get a monthly warning to keep our tools stowed inside a backpack as we commute to and from work. For my job, a peanut or pemberton is enough so I rarely carry anything bigger than that.
 
What a fantastic article! I feel like this one will really resonate with your average, non knife enthusiast. I was pleasantly surprised to see the commenters not resorting to the de facto "why do you need to carry a knife in the first place?" argument.
 
And no one there will give a damn !

It's not just knife laws. The Bill of Rights in New York, the Manhattan area in particular, has been dead and buried for a long time. It will remain that way driven by media and based on fear.

When the book is written there will be a line in the final chapter that reads, "....and the public lost their cherished freedoms as they sat dumb and let it happen, knowingly, right before their eyes." Actually it is occurring everywhere in the country except on a smaller scale than in New York and California.

I do take exception to the phrase, "...]data from several sources suggests .... there have been as many as 60,000 gravity-knife prosecutions over the past decade, and that the rate has more than doubled in that time... If those estimates are correct , it's enough to place..." as sloppy journalism and a key part of the whole problem. A good journalist would have confirmed the actual number; as written, it is merely rumor. Who will find the true number?​

IMO as violence and discord ramp up due to the current dismal political situation in America, the end result will be that the law abiding citizen must walk around defenseless and SUBMIT, i.e. SURRENDER, and have a duty to retreat when accosted in any way.

As I understand it the word "retreat" is beginning to appear in many state laws regarding what a citizen must first do if attacked or harrassed on the streets. I believe the wording already appears in New Jersey state law but I may be mistaken---pretty sure it's one of the northeastern states. More states may have worked that, or similar wording, into their laws by now or are preparing to do same. Does anyone even realize this?​

The first thing that happened after the massacres of 9/11 was to require that individuals now be totally defenseless when they board a plane. Where the sense in that was, I don't know. How does a government accomplish such repression? The same way a pscychopathic German corporal did it 60 years ago---SLOWLY.

Look for knives to become more and more demonized by over--fizzed, hysterical media personalities. Eventually total bans on blades will result.

EDIT: P.S.---Who among us has actually written their 2 senators and state representative about these issues (I have)? Who among us even knows the names of all three of those people? :highly_amused:
 
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cheesemaster said:
Thanks for the article! As a member of the stagehands union mentioned in the article, I can confirm we get a monthly warning to keep our tools stowed inside a backpack as we commute to and from work. For my job, a peanut or pemberton is enough so I rarely carry anything bigger than that.
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IATSE forever, man! :thumbup: :thumbup:
 
Nice article. I have been fighting this issue in Washington.

As you know, Washington State recently amended our weapons statute to exempt assisted knives, with a bias tension toward closure.

I have been successful in getting quite a few of the assisted opening knife cases dismissed before the statutory change. Now, officers are still charging them, because they don't understand the law, and the local prosecutors really make no effort to educate their own police force spread across the county.

I would love to see the switch blade and gravity knife law changer here as well, but the liberal voters on the west side are pretty rabid anti freedom/personal responsibility here.
 
Remember folks to go easy on the politics, as this isn't the venue for that. It's impossible to fully separate politics from this issue to some extent, but please keep it light.
 
This forum (General) is also not the forum for the discussion of knife laws. Moved.
 
I live in NYC and remember about 5-6 years ago when they kicked up this enforcement and confiscated knives for sale from many dealers. The exception was the custom case in Paragon sports. That's still the only place you can walk in off the street in Manhattan and buy something besides a leatherman or SAK. I can also confirm that the police will treat you different it you're white as I have a black friend and a white friend who had wildly different experiences with the police. Guess who got arrested. Also, I have another friend who wasn't arrested for his Super Commander because the cop wanted it. He confiscated it without a written record instead of making the arrest. They also will consider clipping it to your pocket as a violation of the concealed only rule.

I carry a Spyderco UKPK Ti or a #77 Barlow in the city, just in case.
 
It's not just knife laws. The Bill of Rights in New York, the Manhattan area in particular, has been dead and buried for a long time. It will remain that way driven by media and based on fear.
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This x100.

The exception was the custom case in Paragon sports. That's still the only place you can walk in off the street in Manhattan and buy something besides a leatherman or SAK.
Click to expand...

It's true. They still sell these "illegal" knives.
 
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I actually got busted for just that: having a knife clipped to my pocket on the way home from work in nyc.
pretty much ended my LE career before it started. Never saw my kershaw leek again, either.
 
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