Local London Assembly Member, Navin Shah AM, and Brent Safer Neighbourhood Board, hosted an event on Wednesday to hear residents concerns about violent crime.
Violent crime has been rising across London for some time. The meeting was an opportunity for Brent residents to find out what the newly merged Borough Command Unit, covering Brent, Barnet and Harrow, are doing to address the problem. With the Metropolitan Police budget already slashed by £700 million, and with over £300 million of further savings to be made, Navin Shah AM raised his concerns about the impact of cuts to policing on efforts to tackle violent crime.
Joining Mr Shah on the panel were Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Rose, Deputy Mayor of London for Policing and Crime Sophie Linden, Barry Gardiner MP and the Leader of Brent Council, Councillor Muhammed Butt. The meeting was chaired by a Brent Safer Neighbourhood Board representative.
Local Labour London Assembly Member, Navin Shah AM, said:
“I am deeply concerned about the rise in violent crime in Brent. We need every part of the community to come together to stem this awful increasing trend.
“I would like to thank Brent Safer Neighbourhood Board for taking the time to get everyone in one room to talk about how we tackle violence at a local level and to hear about how the changes to policing will be implemented in Brent.
“We now need everyone to do their bit to bring an end to the recent spate in stabbings and gun crime. I urge anyone who witnesses any crime to contact the Police immediately.’’
Notes to editors
- The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced on 10 June 2018 that 34 local projects will receive a share of £1.15 million of funding as part of his wider Knife Crime Strategy. See a full list of the initiatives to receive the support of the Mayor.
- See details about the cuts to policing.