Andrew Dismore

Dear Editor,

I welcome plans for a new Violence Reduction Unit at City Hall, particularly as we’ve seen something of this kind have real results in Glasgow.

This is a positive step forward which builds upon the stringent action the Mayor of London has already taken to clamp down on violent crime and increase the help available to the most vulnerable young Londoners.

We need to tackle the many complex causes of violent crime, such as poverty and social alienation. A public health approach, in which we bring together specialists in health, the police, and local government will, gradually, help us to do just that.

There is no escaping the fact that the Government’s ruthless and sustained austerity measures have contributed to a rise in crime, whether through their closure of vital youth services across London or their deep cuts to the Met Police Budget.

With the rising levels of inequality that blight and fragment our communities, the Mayor is right to concede that this fresh approach will see positive results over time, but it will not change things overnight.

It is clear that the Government now need to put ideology aside and work productively with Mayor Khan to prevent more tragedies from taking place on our streets.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Dismore AM

Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden