A retailers group says it will get behind government moves to tighten up on knife crime. Justice Minister Simon Power said yesterday maximum sentences for possession of a knife would increase by a year to three years jail. Education would also be beefed up and restrictions placed on the sale of knives.

Barry Hellberg from the NZ Retailers Association told TV ONE's Breakfast programme retailers will probably be more in favour of voluntary approaches than mandatory regulations. The government wants retailers to sign a voluntary accord to restrict the sale of knives to young people.

"I think that retailers will see this as an issue that they need to deal with and I think will generally be supportive of the concept." But he says the effectiveness of the moves will come down to individual retailers. "To a large degree it will come back to the approach of the management of the business and the discussions they have with their staff about how they deal with this issue."He says some retailers already refuse to sell knives to young people unless they are with an adult.

The moves followed the release of a report released in March which was requested by Power following concerns raised by a High Court judge and the Youth Justice Independent Advisory Group about the escalating prevalence of knife crime in New Zealand.

Clinical psychologist Ian Lambie, who is a member of that advisory group, is also supportive of the move, but says more research needs to be done into reasons people carry them as weapons.

"I think the initiatives that the government is taking should be applauded and I think they are certainly a move in a very positive and right direction," he told NZPA.

"Certainly what happens when you have a group of young people who have issues with violence and anti-social criminal behaviour, and you mix that with taking knives as potentially a way of dealing with threats under the influence of typically alcohol, it becomes a cocktail and a recipe for disaster."

Lambie said research was also needed to look at who were the kids getting involved in knife crime and what their motivations for carrying knives were.

"That's what I think should probably also be added to this package."

He also suggested a review after a year to see what impact it had.

"And make changes accordingly as a result of that."

A spokesman for Power said the minister had already indicated he would keep an eye on how the proposals worked.

"If further tweaking needed to done then he would obviously look at that."

Lambie said education was positive.

"I think raising the awareness that it is a problem in the community... and I think also identifying the devastating effects it has on, not just the victims but the young people who carry them, I think that's important."

However, "if you have a young offender who is seriously violent and who has come from a dysfunctional and violent background and is displaying that sort of behaviour, education alone is not going to do it but it's part of the package."

Lambie said he was pleased the government had taken his group's recommendations on board.

Power yesterday said an amendment to the Crimes Act would be needed for the increased prison sentence. The Justice Ministry would also investigate the development of a voluntary accord with police, local authorities, and retailers to restrict the sale of knives to young people.

That could include the safe display and storage of knives in shops, signs about the dangers of carrying knives, and information sharing between retailers and the police about knife sales to young people.

There are also plans to bring the Education Ministry, police education officers, Child, Youth and Family Service and Fresh Start providers on board to target young people in campaigns about the dangers of carrying knives and to teach them about other ways of dealing with conflict. CYFS and Fresh Start providers will ensure that where a young person has committed a knife offence the conditions of any family group conference plan or court order are closely monitored.