Sadiq Khan urges Justice Secretary to install weapons detections systems at YOT buildings

In a letter to the Justice Secretary, seen by CYP Now, Sadiq Khan highlights the murder of 18-year-old Hakim Sillah who was stabbed to death at a weapons awareness course organised by Hillingdon’s youth justice service (YJS) at the borough’s civic centre.

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“According to the Independent Review into the circumstances surrounding the murder, it appears ‘undeniable that had there been a way of searching or screening the boys entering the YJS office, this attack could not have happened there’,” the letter states.

Following Hakim’s murder, at the hands of a 17-year-old boy who was also attending the course in 2019, a knife detection arch was installed at premises used by Hillington YJS while a security officer with a knife wand was also deployed.

However, a CYP Now investigation into the use of such systems in settings found that despite a 10 per cent rise in youth homicides using a knife or sharp instrument between 2015/16 and 2019/20, just under a third of councils are using weapons detection systems such as knife arches and knife wands.

Hakim’s mother, Saranba Sillah, is lobbying the government to install weapons detections systems in all buildings used by YJS teams.

In a previous interview with CYP Now, she said “my son would still be with me today” if a weapons detection system had been in use on the day he was killed.

Following a meeting with Saranba in March, Khan has called on Raab to “support the implementation of weapon detection systems across Ministry of Justice and YJS sites in London, especially in areas where knife crime is recognised as a significant problem”.

Khan also notes concerns from youth justice professionals that the installation of detection systems could “damage the trusting relationships youth justice service staff have with the young people they work with”.

The letter states: “The introduction of these systems should give due consideration to how young people are consulted, to mitigate any risk of stigmatising and alienating them, with the clearly stated purpose to promote the safety and engagement of all those attending the premises.”

The London mayor suggests the Youth Justice Board should provide “central training and support for councils” using best practice examples from councils which have already “successfully installed” detection systems in some London boroughs.

“No parent should have to lose their child in such devastating circumstances and we must be considering all options which might prevent young people like Hakim losing their lives to senseless and preventable violence,” Khan’s letter adds.

A YJB spokesman said: “Following recommendations from the independent review, the YJB revised our case management guidance to include information on when a weapons detection system should be used and guidance on consulting and communicating with children over their use. This will shortly be published on GOV.UK.

“In addition, services which use knife arches or wands met our request to share their learnings on our Youth Justice Resource Hub. This will support local youth justice services to identify which approach will keep children in their areas safest.

“Centrally-mandated, inflexible approaches to youth justice do not usually make children safer, and we believe the decision on use of weapon detection systems should be made by local authorities, informed by local risk assessments and needs.”