Met Police outlines strategy to combat gang crime
Neil Puffett
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Improved joint working between police, local authorities and charities will form a key plank of a drive to tackle gang crime in the capital, it has been announced.
A crackdown by the Metropolitan Police will see a team of 1,000 police officers created to tackle the issue through a central Trident gang crime command as well as new local taskforces across London.
The central command will take responsibility for monitoring gang activity across London, with 19 priority boroughs having dedicated gang crime taskforces to deal with local gang crime and work with their partners on diversion and prevention activities.
The new approach will focus on "better and more consistent" use of intelligence to identify and prioritise the most harmful gangs and gang members, while spotting young people on the periphery who can be referred to other agencies for help in keeping away from crime.
Met Police commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said: "This is a step change in how we tackle gang crime in London. It will allow us to identify and relentlessly pursue the most harmful gangs and gang members.
"It will also help us identify young people on the periphery of gangs and work with partners to divert them away.
"Although we are now nearly doubling the number of officers dedicated to tackling gang crime, the police cannot do this alone. It is vital we work with the public, local authorities, charities and other agencies to prevent young people from joining gangs in the first place."
Hogan-Howe added that there is no intention of criminalising innocent young people.
"The vast majority of young people in London are law-abiding, good citizens who make a positive contribution to our communities. However, there are still too many young people who are, or could get involved in gangs.
"We want to prevent young people getting involved in gang offending so we and other agencies are offering ways out to support young people. However, those who refuse our offer of help will be pursued and brought to justice."
Hogan-Howe said that the Met was focused on violence and criminal behaviour associated with gangs and wasn't concerned with "friends who may hang around".
The 19 "key boroughs" are Brent, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Merton, Camden, Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham.
There are an estimated 250 active criminal gangs in London, made up of about 4,800 people. Of these gangs, 62 are considered as high harm, committing two-thirds of all gang-related crime.
