LONDON, June 3 — Mayor of London Boris Johnson on Monday unveiled the city’s plans to tackle gang crimes in the future, underscoring prevention and early intervention for young people at risk of gang involvement.
Xinhua news agency reports Johnson as saying that while targeted enforcement remains vital to tackling gangs, there should be even greater focus on prevention in the years ahead.
“The city is working to ensure they (youths) are not drawn into gang culture in the first place and make it easier to leave when they are already involved,” Johnson said while addressing a major international summit on gangs.
Through the London Crime Prevention Fund (LCPF), the London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) is working with London’s 32 boroughs to provide funding to 25 gangs projects worth 3 million pounds (US$5 million) per year over the next four years.
The majority of the projects are directed at prevention and early intervention for those at risk of gang involvement, and multi-agency enforcement and diversion for those already associated or already involved with gangs.
Other developments include the Crown Prosecution Service, introducing dedicated gangs prosecutors to ensure that these cases have specialist support. Johnson said a mentoring programme has reached its target to pair 1,000 at-risk young Londoners with personal mentors to help them steer clear of offending and reach their potential.
Statistics from MOPAC show it is estimated that there are 3,495 identified gang members in London and around 224 known criminal gangs.
Shootings, stabbings and youth homicides have seen significant reductions, with teenage murders down from 29 in 2008 to 12 last year.
–BERNAMA
