Gang exit schemes to expand across London

The Greater London Authority’s gang strategy for 2014 to 2017 reveals that more needs to be done to improve services for those wanting to leave gangs.

Existing gang exit projects can be hampered by a lack of housing for young people to move to, while exit programmes are not always available in London boroughs that have not been identified as knife crime hotspots.

The new pan-London exit service will cover all 32 London boroughs and will aim to provide continuing support, with the goal of getting young people into a job.

The strategy also reveals that all schools in London will run gang prevention programmes enabling children and young people to make positive life choices.

Meanwhile, every “at risk" child will receive targeted support for a “positive transition” between primary and secondary school.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson, said statistics show progress is being made on gangs in the capital, pointing to the fact that murders of 13- to 19-year-olds reduced from 29 in 2008 to 12 in 2013, and since the launch of the Trident Gang Crime Command in 2012, knife crime injuries to under-25s have reduced by almost a third.

But he said more can be achieved through the new strategy: "Despite the progress we have made, we cannot be complacent.

“Gangs continue to feature as a key crime concern for Londoners and there are still too many victims of serious youth violence.

“With more effective enforcement and fewer violent gang members at large, the space has been created to redirect efforts towards prevention – to help stop the problem at source by diverting young people away from gangs and helping those who want to exit to do so safely.”

The strategy also commits to improving mental health services for gang members, while all London trauma centres will have access to specialist support for victims of gang-related violence.