An urgent debate on strategies for effectively combating gun and knife crime

As of the date of this petition there have been 50 gun/knife related killings in our capital. The ONS states that knife offences rose by 23% in the Capital, a higher murder rate than New York. Links below will remind you of some of those who have fallen victim to date this year and in 2017.

Here are some national headlines regarding this issue, which is now at crisis point. Please forward this petition to your network.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/04/killed-in-2018-londons-victims-of-violence#img-2

https://www.theguardian.com/membership/ng-interactive/2017/mar/28/beyond-the-blade-marking-the-death-of-every-child-and-teen-by-a-knife-in-2017

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/gun-and-knife-crime-soaring-in-london-official-figures-show-a3513366.html

The Government is determined to break the deadly cycle of violence that devastates the lives of individuals, families and communities. In response to the recent increases in knife crime, gun crime and homicide, the Government published the Serious Violence Strategy. The Strategy outlines an ambitious programme working with a range of Government Departments and partnerships across a number of sectors such as education, health, social services, housing, youth services, and victim services.

The strategy makes clear that our approach is not solely focused on law enforcement, very important as that is, but depends also on partnerships across a number of sectors. In particular, it needs the support of communities thinking about what they can do themselves to help prevent violent crime happening in the first place and how they can support measures to get young people and young adults involved in positive activities.

We know intervening early can help us catch young people before they go down the wrong path, encouraging them to make positive choices and that is why the strategy represents a step change in the way we think and respond and in particular, a shift to early intervention and prevention steering young people away from crime in the first place and put in place measures to tackle the root causes of the problem.

Action in the strategy is centred on the following key themes:

• Tackling county lines and misuse of drugs; • Early intervention and prevention; • Supporting communities and local partnerships; and • Law enforcement and the criminal justice response