Reducing violent crime

most people who are commiting crimes are often raised in a backround full of violence and they just grow up being used to it or in poor housing. they'd start learning from their siblings and i know for a fact growing up life was not the best for me i've been through a lot of abuse to the point that i started acting like my other family members i would start skipping school not because i was un safe but because i didn't really see a future for my self. by the age 15 i was carrying knives got my self caught multiple times in pru and one day it got to the point i ended up in court and thankfully they just gave me half a year with yot. most of us never choosed to be violent we just saw it as the only option at that time. most people grow up with no one telling them what to do they have their parents but their parents dont seem to understand why they behave so poorly or they are not aware what their kids do on the streets. Teaching kids from a young age would be better we could listen to what they say hear them out we could even hold events in school talking about all sorts of violence from abusive parents to street violence we can hear what they say show them videos of what really goes on and hopefully we can change their thoughts and views. we can also hold events up like football matches music festivels where people can feel safe to go to not worrying about if they should carry any weapons or anything. police need to start talking to the kids they arrest and talk to them on a 1 to 1. telling them they'll go jail if they carry on behaving bad wont do no good they'll act and behave the same, some have brothers or family members in prison so they are aware of what they're doing but showing them what prison is actually like and the out come of what they do on the streets hopefully they change their mind in what they do.

All past examples of success involved radical actions to stop and search as many people as possible. You will find drugs and weapons in significant numbers. Prosecute the offenders harshly. People who do this and escaped capture will rethink their behaviour if they know will get severeal years behind bars. You are at war with anti-social behaviour. Target specific areas, you know where to go. Just get on with it and stop your hand-wringing. You can save lives. Do not capitulate to accusations of racism. Rehabilitate the monsters you catch with proper facitlities.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/our-1m-bid-to-cut-school-excl…?

This is a real tangible solution to the root cause of young people becoming victims to organised crime.

We all searched high and low for something to do about knife crime in London and the scourge of organised crime praying on young people and now we can, visibly see the roots causes as per recent met police report.

I challenge the Evening STandard and Londoners to raise 10 Million pounds. I, as a father of a 6YO, will personally pledge 100pounds. I challenge every father in London to pledge the same amount!

London is a prosperous city we can comfortably afford this amount. preventing crime is only the beginning. the impact is far reaching when you raise the standard of education of our young people and include those at the most vulnerable end of society.

thank you for listening...

Firstly I feel immense grief for the victims and the families. Some of the criminals are themselves victims in their history. It is harder to feel sorry for them, but we must seek understanding and feel empathy. Think the comment below by 'retired cop' is sensible and speaks from experience. The old academic studies show a 'career in crime' problem, and sets out the need to provide alternative career structures offering real opportunities, which raise self esteem and provide escape routes out of the crime pathways. But today there is the problem of grooming which nowadays has moved onto an industrial scale? Seems to be very organised, widespread and extremely dangerous. So even if someone wants to 'leave the career in crime', it might be simply very dangerous to them or their loved ones to do so, and secondly very difficult if they are an 11 year old still at school and in their family or if older eg 19: in too deep/risk of death. Very vulnerable children and young people are being targeted. The Mayor and London Met strongly messaging that policy/funding/approaches at the moment make vulnerable people/communities even more vulnerable could be cranked up: is the msg strong enough? I appreciate what is messaged but it needs to much more noisy - and detailed. Finally: (1) Provide alternatives to the pupil referral system/exclusions since pupil referral units/the excluded are made into a target. (2) The need to dramatically increase youth services/youth support generally alongside the cuts to police/police stations, taking out so many skilled, experienced childrens' social workers, probation officers etc. It needs to be clearly, carefully, explained why this is a problem/the impact with examples. Please tell people how gangs and violence work - I think there is not enough detail given. (4) Would welcome Mayoral funding for capital wide multigenerational festival of citizenship, inclusion, opportunity. 

I am very disturbed by families that their loved one have endured death by knife crime and do not speak out to bring all our communities together to STOP this awful knife and gun crime, there is something within these families that have and are going through severe social issues...I am not sure if youth clubs will be the answer as adults are also commiting knife crimes as well, these people are linked with drugs selling and using them there must be someone who controls these awful crimes in London.

We definitely need to have armed security people with a self defense background in shopping malls, cinemas also tubes and buses and other public places to keep Londoners safe as this is a daily problem and it's making my life a absolute misery as I'm always I'm sure like many others afraid to go out and enjoy my life and country, we need to take drastic measures even to the point of appointing army officers we need to show that we are not going to tolerate this kind of evil behaviour, we have loved ones that where always concerned about we should not be living in fear..

I say get rid of all metal knives in the homes and people will have to find other means to cut into things or eat their meals with a plastic knife instead, and if people r caught still carrying knives they should be caught and homes and their own families searched as well because it looks like this could be a gang war going on...

More Police on foot and no more excuses of cutbacks this is costing innocent peoples lives as long as were breathing it's for all of us to say enough is enough we need to focus on changing and doing good...

I like to see posters and billboards also tv and radios etc speak or filled with positive messages and graffiti walls in and all around London areas to give out goodness we need to hear and see it the more its drummed into people hopefully we will eventually see changes...

Why has the mayor not delivered on his pledges of 2016 on making London safer? He collected extra council tax for this and receives extra money fron Government, but simply talks blaming Government instead of acting.

You have been given the extra money by Government. We haven't seen a Beat policeman for over a year in Ickenham and not many cars either. We had 3 attempted break ins and the last time a fingerprint pointed to a known villain and in spite of asking he was never taken in. Then a Local Drug Dealer was brought in yet again and we were told he would get a custodial sentence yet he didn't and Im sure the Police were not happy - but he is still dealing drugs in our area. Its frankly not good enough

It's not only young people who are to blame; there are social problems with drugs and weapons emanating from religious organisations, with leaders claiming they can do nothing to stop them from attacking other people. They are usually in their late 20's and 30's, sometimes much older. By the time formal warnings kick in, some of their victims will be dead or seriously disabled. Religious communities protect these hooligans, putting the public and local business communities at risk. 

I attended a session run by the st Giles trust charity at a local school funded by the Mayor of London.  I arranged for the head of another school where my kids go to attend with me after a young man was stabbed and killed around the corner from the school a few weeks ago.  We were impressed by the charity and want to run the sessions at our school - but want to find out about extending the funding given to the Borough (Redbridge).  Have contacted our borough GLA member about it - hope we can secure the funding and that anyone reading this can help.  Prevention and education at an early youth stage is important and needs to be a priority.  Looks like a lot is being done by the Mayor - especially where local councils are underfunded.  Appreciate everything that’s already being done - just need a little bit more help to extend the coverage that’s already there.

I would like to see proper sentencing as a deterrent, ten years just for carrying a knife and locked up forever for injuring or murder. The end of referral to 'knife awareness courses' at your local council because you are given a second chance when young and carrying a knife - you just go to prison. Poverty, single parenting is no excuse - my kids are excelling under the same circumstances because I push them to get on, learn, work, be self reliant. My youngest is home schooled now as the schools have become so undisciplined and dangerous in my area. Dumb postcode wars, 'gang' rivalry - all the hostility shouldn't be tolerated anymore - just stop pandering to the badly behaved - lock them up!

From personal experience i think more crimes happen because of bad police officers are working for the department. What will you expect from a young boy (15y/o) in future when he has been arrested and kept in custody without legal guardian for something he did not do and latter record of the arrest and everything has been destroyed by the police station,.

What would you expect from a boy who has been told by "you should stay in prison because you are not British" in front of police officer inside the police station and that police heard it and later destroyed the CCTV from the police station by the police, what would you expect from someone if a police office tell you that why you are in my country.

Crime is a income for most police officers, so if there is no crime then those racist officer will not have job. Fix the police crime will go down in future but if the police stay racist then do not expect the new generation will be criminal even if they don't do any crime.

No More Police 

The ability to deliver effective interventions to reduce violent crime must be flexible . Thinking ahead when possible. Moving from the talking stage to the action stage sooner than later. 

We are all responsible as sitting on the sidelines doing nothing having no voice is part of the problem. 

Unity derives from communication, understanding and compassion we all need to be doing this on a daily basis.

Crime will not disappear, but we can better support those affected by it by delivering services that are approachable, caring, mindful, resourceful and services that are not short lived or under funded.

Let's re focus some of the huge revenue from parking into setting up pier support services, local community services, pro active groups teaching children. Encourage communities to integrate through events that bring people close together, neighbour's  talking to each other with joy rather than fear. 

Provide free access to youth to access  gyms, Galleries, arts, music, encourage youth to be pro active in making the decisions of their futures.

Invest more in addiction services for 18 and under, support parents to better support their children. Create more service to tackle gaming addiction. Monitor and police the companies the sell equipment that is used to grow skunk weed. 

Stop sending offenders to paint railway fences or clean paths. Send the to volunteer with street homeless or drug addiction services. Let them see the inside of a morgue. Offer them effective counselling let them heal from there trauma too.

The system has to be accountable. Multi media need to be addressing negative one sided reporting which often has racial undertones. Social media is a free for all when it come to glorifying drugs crime and violence surely they must be accountable. 

There are way to many points to mention in 2000 words 

Love and peace 

How can we get the promised +20,000 police onto our streets sooner rather than later? Another young boy was stabbed to death on the street of Stratford in London last night. Only 15 years of age. A school boy getting off the bus at a local shopping centre. I know increasing police numbers is only one part of the solution to complex issues - but for those who prey on our youth and encourage and coerce them into gangs and violence, they need to know we have the manpower to find and charge them. Perhaps if we can tackle these gangs and the main perpetrators, our children won't feel they need to carry knives to protect themselves. 

Dosnt matter what you do to prevent violence ......... 

they talk about prevention , they get paid to prevent ...... but when given the opportunity to prevent violence ........ 

from personal experience no ones working for a safer London or preventing any violence ....... the reality is you need to protect yourself from being a statistic........ I realise the police are busy protecting the privileged, but they really need to try to protect the vunerble at times , paying council tax is so disheartening when you know your paying just for the privileged to be protected ..... 

Hey Soladele, so you think that people who are perhaps on the fence aren't comfortable with addressing the matter mainstream because they don't trust MP's (Mockery of Power lol) etc??

Usually, when it comes to making new policies or initiatives to tackle this issue, it’s normally a group of middle class white people who can’t relate to the everyday lives of the people they are trying to ‘improve.’

Perhaps we need to first tackle the mass alienation of these groups of people and the things they are known for – i.e. drill and the way it is presented in the media. When people of BAME backgrounds are making this music, it’s said to perpetuate a life of crime and criminal acts, yet a white boy named Alex does the same thing and is rewarded with champagne on national television, though he is underage.

In order to create as space where true discussion can happen for progression and change, we need to first address the ongoing discrimination in the area of race and socio-economic backgrounds. Once that has been acknowledge, a lot more people will feel comfortable having a dialogue with someone who they know they can trust.

Any immediate solutions for knife crime in London?! - I think Street Warriors are doing a good thing, taking knives off the streets and converting it into gyms...