Tackling Gang Crime: Improving police responses, supporting young people, reducing violence & preventing exploitation
(Ended 16th Mar 2023)
Online
16th Mar 2023 to 16th Mar 2023
Date of Event: Thursday, March 16th 2023
Time of Event: 9:30 AM — 1:00 PM
The Children’s Commissioner estimated that in 2019 there were around 27,000 children who identified as gang members in England alone. According to the Met Police, 69% of shootings and nearly one-quarter of homicides are believed to be linked to gangs. Although gang crime is notoriously difficult to track, statistics on knife crime are thought to be largely reflective of gang violence, the former reaching its highest level of the decade in 2019, with 44 knife offences being committed per day and 94 fatal stabbing offences being recorded. Whilst lockdowns have distorted these figures throughout 2020/21, similar levels of violence were recorded during months with lighter coronavirus restrictions. The fallout from repeated Covid-19 lockdowns is thought to have made young people, in particular, far more vulnerable to exploitation by, and involvement in, gangs, as a result of periods of isolation and rising rates of absenteeism in schools. In Newham alone, the Met’s command unit refers 1,000 young people every month to local authorities on the basis that they are at risk of gang membership.
Gang violence is largely traced using the Met Police’s gangs violence matrix (GVM), a tool used to identify and risk-assess gang members, with the aim of preventing violence and safeguarding individuals at risk of exploitation. However, this tool has been widely criticised for its tendency to stigmatise young black people. Whilst the effects of gang violence are disproportionately felt by black communities, commentators have challenged the GVM on the basis that individuals have often been identified based on associations and not behaviours. Whilst the number of names contained in the matrix has dropped by 40% since its peak in 2017, eight out of 10 names listed are still from an African-Caribbean background, prompting calls for further reform.
Efforts to counter youth violence include the establishment of Violence Reduction Units (VRUs), which aim to tackle violent crime and its underlying causes through the coordination of organisations within local communities, a £200m Youth Endowment Fund focused upon early intervention, and a £500m Youth Investment Fund. The government has also invested £40million in their efforts to tackle drug supply and county lines drug trafficking, issues that are central to the exploitation of children. In 2021, the government published its ‘Beating crime plan’, which set out measures to tackle serious violence and neighbourhood crimes, including meeting the objective of recruiting 20,000 extra police officers by March 2023. Police powers in this area have been somewhat strengthened by legislation, particularly with regard to the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, which takes a tougher line on illegal weapons, and the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which introduces new stop and search powers to target those convicted of knife and offensive weapons offences. The Act also introduces new legal duties on local public services to work together in ‘Serious Violence Partnerships’ to tackle serious violence. In 2022, the government also published its ‘10-year drugs plan’, which it hopes address the issue of crime and gang activity linked to drugs.
However, despite the progress made by government investment, the Children’s Commissioner has called attention to gaps in the nationwide approach. There are currently only 18 VRUs across the UK, therefore leaving many areas dependent upon local authorities, who, according to the Children’s Commissioner, lack a coherent strategy, failing to adopt both a safeguarding and public health response to the issue. Many also argue that police officers lack the necessary training to properly engage with the community, therefore creating a communications gap between police and public and stifling efforts to track gang activity, prevent crime, and support communities. Rising poverty levels and further cuts to public services and public investment are also likely to push more young people into gangs and crime.
This symposium, therefore, will provide an important opportunity to cultivate a holistic understanding of gang violence and the factors which contribute to gang membership across the UK. This entails an examination of current efforts to prevent the spread of gang violence and an identification of areas in which stakeholders might better collaborate in order to take greater action and protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation and intimidation.
Programme
- Evaluate existing government strategies to tackle gang crime, assessing the value of taking a public health approach to the issue
- Assess current legislative efforts to target gang and knife crime, exploring opportunities for further legislative reform
- Examine the effects of Covid-19 on gang crime, particularly the effects that isolation and school absenteeism have had on child gang membership
- Raise awareness of the risk of racial bias within government and police practices and discuss mechanisms for eliminating such discrimination
- Discuss opportunities for a more coordinated multi-agency response to gang crime in local areas, aiming to reduce the current postcode lottery which disadvantages individuals living in certain areas
- Share experiences of best practice in rehabilitation efforts, minimising the risk of individuals rejoining gangs and reoffending
- Analyse the current support offered to young people in order to prevent youth violence, assessing the extent to which sufficient support is provided within communities, schools, and health care settings
- Assess the efficacy of violence reduction units and the potential for further extending the reach of this scheme
- Develop strategies for protecting victims of gang crime, aiming to further reduce the risk of exploitation and intimidation through means such as priority housing for those who have been driven out of their homes and the dismantling of drugs networks
- Explore the role of technology and social media in gang recruitment and methods for safeguarding young people online
- Formulate strategies for improving the police response to gang crime, with regard to both intelligence and community involvement
Who Should Attend?
- Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships
- Community Safety Teams
- Community Rehabilitation Companies
- Probation Officers
- Welfare Officers
- Neighbourhood Policing Teams
- Anti-Social Behaviour Coordinators
- Drug and Alcohol Action Teams
- Police Service, Police Authorities and Fire Services
- Firearms Units
- Youth Offending Teams
- Youth and Outreach Workers
- Youth Inclusion Team from Young Offenders Institutes
- Integrated Offender Management Units
- Community Cohesion and Development Organisations
- Community Support Officers
- Accident and Emergency Departments
- Local Authority Officers and Councillors
- Central Government Departments and Agencies
- Children and Youth Services
- Domestic Violence Co-ordinators
- Families Services Officers
- Sure Start, Children’s Trusts and Children’s Centres
- Health Service Professionals
- Victim Support Representatives
- Psychologists
- Social Workers and Social Services Officers
- Local Education Welfare Authorities
- Teachers and Head Teachers
- Neighbourhood Wardens and Co-ordinators
- Criminal Justice Practitioners
- Judges and Magistrates
- Legal Professionals
- Equality and Diversity Practitioners
- Third Sector Practitioners
- Academics and Researchers