Many constituents have contacted me about the recent series of stabbings in and around Thornton Heath. Two young men have lost their lives in these attacks, and a third is currently being treated in hospital. My thoughts are with the victims and their families.
I have long called on the Government to take urgent action against knife crime. We need to make sure that police have the resources they need to deal with attacks as they happen, but we also need to tackle the causes of youth crime to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Effective youth services are key to keeping young people off the streets and giving them more positive things to do. I know this can help reduce youth crime. Improving activities and support for young people was a key focus for me when I was leader of Lambeth Council and, working with the community, we cut violent youth crime by a third in 18 months.
Last month I wrote to the Mayor of Croydon to request a meeting to discuss the Council’s plans for local youth services. I’m very concerned that young people in Croydon have been left without enough support after the Conservative Government cut Croydon’s funding twice as hard as the average for other councils. This situation will become worse if the Mayor goes ahead with his plans to cut funding for youth services even further.
Knife crime destroys families and communities, and every young life lost to this violence is an unbelievable tragedy. I know from my own experience that this is not inevitable. There is more our council can and must do to keep young people safe.
