London needs ‘smarter solutions’ to tackle gang violence according to Mayor of London Boris Johnson. Speaking at the Gangs Guns and Weapons Practitioners Forum annual seminar the Mayor raised concerns about vulnerable young people being lured into criminal gangs.
Mr Johnson also promised that his Youth Violence Strategy would include ‘hard hitting’ new plans to tackle crime.
Speaking today Johnson said he was “filled with despair every time I read about another fatal stabbing or shooting It is a tragedy that 27 teenagers have become victims of knife and gun crime this year. Enough is enough – I am adamant that this violence must stop.”
Announcing that his strategy will be launched in November, Mayor Johnson stressed the importance of councils, schools and police working together to produce “a coordinated response to youth violence in London.”
“There will be several themes within the strategy including employment skills and education, which are vital in providing young people with the opportunities needed to succeed in life.”
thomasthetaxi says
To get smarter solutions from the Met, you will have to find smarter top police officers. Taking graduates straight out of university and giving them tops jobs in the Met has been a mistake. The best police inspectors have always been the ones who came up thru the ranks. Fast tracking doesn’t work in practise.
Jason says
Tonight, in a bid to stop the gun and knife crime in London, the black police officers association are putting on African choir concert. Yeah that will do it. All the villains and junkies will turn up and just hand in their weapons.
No more actually going out there and getting the guns and knives off the streets, they’ll just sing them into submission.
Boris is right we need smarter police force.
thomasthetaxi says
A man has been shot dead in south London, Scotland Yard said.
Police officers were called to White Hart Street in Kennington.
They found a man with gunshot wounds. Paramedics and the air ambulance were called but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
While the jewel of Africa choir sang out last night over the south bank , gun shots rang out not a mile away.
Nothing changes, a young man dies.
We need smarter Policing and we need it now.
The political policemen have had their chance, now we need coppers.
TawkinSenz says
In order to get smarter solutions, you need smarter policemen.
The standard of the average police officer is terrible. I have watched criminals run rings round them. They are not helped by laws which make very little common sense and the usual Government drive for league tables and statistics.
That’s why you’re more likely to see a policeman stop a cyclist for jumping a red light than you are likely to see one arrest a ‘proper criminal’.
I thought PCO’s were supposed to help – but these are no more reassuring than a car park attendant in a flourescent jacket. Another great idea in principle – destroyed by yet another poor implmentation.
I was stopped in the street a few months ago and asked to provide my ID. I had committed no crime and I had a perfectly reasonable explanation for my being there. I was told at the time that if I could not prove who I was then I would be arrested. It wasn’t until later I discovered this is not true. His attitude was rude and arrogant (to say the least) and his thratening manner left me angry and confused.
How can the police expect to solve any crime when they constantly allienate the general public in this way – the most valuable source of information for them.