Detective Chief Superintendent John Coles, head of Operation Trident, the Metropolitan Police's initiative to tackle Black-on-Black gun crime, made the comments in response to last week's publication of an all-party parliamentary group report called Combating the Threat of Gun Violence.
In his submission to the committee hearings that preceded the report, Coles said the nature of gun use was shifting. "Guns were traditionally used by professional criminals, but now firearms are more widely used by young people to settle disputes relating to territories, drugs, turf wars or 'disrespect'," he said.
Coles told Young People Now the growth in such "disorganised crime" is fuelled by the easy availability of replicas, which can be cheaply converted.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
